Download CanCare Patient Navigation Program “Together Caring Together

CanCare Patient Navigation Program
“Together Caring Together Curing”
Following a cancer diagnosis, a person with
cancer has many new challenges and
relationships to manage. This can include
developing relationships with members of the
healthcare team, people in the community who
provide community services and support and
understanding a diagnosis and treatment. A
patient navigator “walks alongside” a person with
cancer in a mentoring, peer support capacity to
assist the patient with the many new challenges
they face following a cancer diagnosis.
Fig 1 Patient Navigator Relationship Model
CanCare Patient Navigation Program
A patient navigation program is a model of care where a trained volunteer provides one on
one, non-medical, support to adult cancer patients who do not have complex health
problems. There is evidence that cancer patients who are well supported and have their
needs identified and addressed have lower rates of anxiety, mood disorders, nausea,
vomiting and pain, and significantly greater knowledge about the disease and their
treatment. The logistic and practical help that can be provided by a navigator allows
patients to take time to process information and make sense of what is happening.
The principal function of the navigator is to help patients access information, support
patients to access the right care at the right time, help them complete complex medical
forms, keep a medical history, find transportation to treatment, arrange child care while a
parent receives care, connect patient’s to support groups, organise or take patients on
social outings, help patient’s access home help if required, encourage patients to have
regular contact with their GP, alert hospital staff about any concerns and support patients
to record their cancer journey in the CanCare Journal.
Navigators have regular contact with patients either face to face, over the phone, via Skype
etc. A patient navigator is involved from as early in the cancer journey as possible and
continues until a patient no longer requires the support of the navigator or 2 years from the
commencement of navigation. The navigator will be trained, then use their knowledge of
the disease process, the health care system, the professionals working in the health care
system, the different services and resources available in the community, to support patients
during their treatment and into their survivorship.
1 CanCare Patient Navigation Program
“CanCare Cancer Research & Support”
The CanCare Patient Navigation Program has two types of patient navigators CanCare
Patient Navigators and CanCare Support Navigators.
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CanCare Patient Navigator
The CanCare Patient Navigator will support a patient that does not have complex
health problems, on a one-on-one basis in the community setting.
•
CanCare Support Navigator
The CanCare Support Navigator will be trained to support the CanCare Patient
Navigator. Support navigators will not have direct contact with patients. Their
primary purpose will be to support a CanCare Patient Navigator by being their link to
community resources and services and provide peer support to navigators.
Who is a Patient Navigator
Patient navigators are volunteers who attend a training program then use the skills and
knowledge gained to support a person with cancer.
Patient navigators can be:
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medical, nursing or allied health students who wants experience working with
people in a health environment;
a community member who would like to help people with cancer, a cancer survivor,
or a person looking for a rewarding volunteering role;
a carer or Next of Kin (NOK) of a person diagnosed with cancer who would like to be
more involved in supporting their loved one.
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If you are a carer or a next of kin navigator you may be able to apply
for Carers Leave through your workplace to attend the training
program.
If your workplace has a volunteering policy you may be able to
apply for leave to attend the training program.
Patient Navigator Training
Patient navigators attend a FREE 2-day training program that provides them with an
opportunity to:
 learn more about the health system;
 understand the disease process;
 further develop communication skills;
 better understand the many challenges a person with cancer faces; and
 learn how to access services and credible information to support a person with
cancer.
The training program also involves 4-6 hours of pre course reading and reviewing relevant
websites. The training program has not been developed to give patient navigators the skills
they require to be counsellors, offer counselling support to patients or family members or
help patients make treatment decisions or provide patients with medical advice.
2 CanCare Patient Navigation Program
“CanCare Cancer Research & Support”
How The Program Works
Navigators
Volunteer navigators register their interest with The Prostate and Breast Cancer Foundation.
Following this volunteers (who are not a carer or NOK) are interviewed and a referee check
is conducted. If the applicant meets the criteria to be a patient navigator the following are
conducted:
 100 point Identification Check
 Criminal Record Check
 Working with Children Check.
A letter of acceptance is sent to successful volunteers. Volunteers then attend the free 2day training program and sign the Volunteer Agreement. We then match a trained volunteer
navigator with a patient with similar interests.
Navigation can be for as little as 1-2 hours per week for each patient or longer if they require
additional support.
Patients
Patients with cancer, that do not have complex medical problems, can register for a patient
navigator with the PBCF online or over the phone. Once registered we conduct an interview
and review the patient’s medical history. If the patient is non-complex we will match them
with a navigator.
Following this a meeting is arranged with the patient, navigator and the Program Manager
and a home assessment conducted if the navigator is to visit the patient’s home. Navigation
can continue for up to two years after it commenced.
3 CanCare Patient Navigation Program
“CanCare Cancer Research & Support”