TY - JOUR
T1 - Comparing clinical and nonclinical cancer patient navigators
T2 - A national study in the United States
AU - on behalf of the National Navigation Roundtable Evidence-Based Task Group
AU - Wells, Kristen J.
AU - Wightman, Patrick
AU - Cobian Aguilar, Rosa
AU - Dwyer, Andrea J.
AU - Garcia-Alcaraz, Cristian
AU - Saavedra Ferrer, Elba L.
AU - Mohan, Prashanthinie
AU - Fleisher, Linda
AU - Franklin, Elizabeth F.
AU - Valverde, Patricia A.
AU - Calhoun, Elizabeth
N1 - © 2022 American Cancer Society.
PY - 2022/7/1
Y1 - 2022/7/1
N2 - BACKGROUND: A nationwide survey was conducted to examine differences between clinical and nonclinical oncology navigators in their service provision, engagement in the cancer care continuum, personal characteristics, and program characteristics. METHODS: Using convenience sampling, 527 oncology navigators participated and completed an online survey. Descriptive statistics, χ2 statistics, and t tests were used to compare nonclinical (eg, community health worker) and clinical (eg, nurse navigators) navigators on the provision of various navigation services, personal characteristics, engagement in the cancer care continuum, and program characteristics. RESULTS: Most participants were clinical navigators (76.1%). Compared to nonclinical navigators, clinical navigators were more likely to have a bachelor's degree or higher (88.6% vs 69.6%, P <.001), be funded by operational budgets (84.4% vs 35.7%, P <.001), and less likely to work at a community-based organization or nonprofit (2.0% vs 36.5%, P <.001). Clinical navigators were more likely to perform basic navigation (P <.001), care coordination (P <.001), treatment support (P <.001), and clinical trial/peer support (P =.005). Clinical navigators were more likely to engage in treatment (P <.001), end-of-life (P <.001), and palliative care (P =.001) navigation. CONCLUSIONS: There is growing indication that clinical and nonclinical oncology navigators perform different functions and work in different settings. Nonclinical navigators may be more likely to face job insecurity because they work in nonprofit organizations and are primarily funded by grants.
AB - BACKGROUND: A nationwide survey was conducted to examine differences between clinical and nonclinical oncology navigators in their service provision, engagement in the cancer care continuum, personal characteristics, and program characteristics. METHODS: Using convenience sampling, 527 oncology navigators participated and completed an online survey. Descriptive statistics, χ2 statistics, and t tests were used to compare nonclinical (eg, community health worker) and clinical (eg, nurse navigators) navigators on the provision of various navigation services, personal characteristics, engagement in the cancer care continuum, and program characteristics. RESULTS: Most participants were clinical navigators (76.1%). Compared to nonclinical navigators, clinical navigators were more likely to have a bachelor's degree or higher (88.6% vs 69.6%, P <.001), be funded by operational budgets (84.4% vs 35.7%, P <.001), and less likely to work at a community-based organization or nonprofit (2.0% vs 36.5%, P <.001). Clinical navigators were more likely to perform basic navigation (P <.001), care coordination (P <.001), treatment support (P <.001), and clinical trial/peer support (P =.005). Clinical navigators were more likely to engage in treatment (P <.001), end-of-life (P <.001), and palliative care (P =.001) navigation. CONCLUSIONS: There is growing indication that clinical and nonclinical oncology navigators perform different functions and work in different settings. Nonclinical navigators may be more likely to face job insecurity because they work in nonprofit organizations and are primarily funded by grants.
KW - cancer survivors
KW - community health workers
KW - early detection of cancer
KW - neoplasms
KW - patient navigation
KW - Medical Oncology
KW - United States/epidemiology
KW - Humans
KW - Continuity of Patient Care
KW - Surveys and Questionnaires
KW - Patient Navigation
KW - Neoplasms/epidemiology
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85131878346&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - https://www.webofscience.com/api/gateway?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=purepublist2023&SrcAuth=WosAPI&KeyUT=WOS:000810588600006&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=WOS
U2 - 10.1002/cncr.33880
DO - 10.1002/cncr.33880
M3 - Article
C2 - 35699618
SN - 0008-543X
VL - 128
SP - 2601
EP - 2609
JO - Cancer
JF - Cancer
IS - Suppl 13
ER -