Effectiveness of Patient Navigation Program in Improving Diagnostic Resolution - Research Paper Example

Effectiveness of Patient Navigation Program for Underserved Patients in Improving Diagnostic Resolution after Abnormal Cancer Screening: Student ID Date Effectiveness Of Patient Navigation Program For Underserved Patients In Improving Diagnostic Resolution After Abnormal Cancer Screening CHAPTER I Introduction In recent years, cancer has grown to become one of the major threats in human history in relation to health. The lack of a cure makes it more complicated and leaving the only chances of curing it through early detection and a well carefully taken test to identify the cells early to treat. The development of diagnostic resolution to help in ensuring accurate screening of cancer as embedded in the patient navigation program provides the beginning step in dealing with the challenge that cancer pose to the society. It is therefore mandatory that the diagnostic resolution items work well and meet the required ability to perform a normal and effective cancer scan screening on the patients. Most of the time, the underserved members of the community suffer from these abnormal tests. Failure to improve the situation could result into more people succumbing to the disease, which is curable and manageable at the earlier stages of its development. Through patient navigation programs, the underserved in community expect to receive medical care and diagnosis that provides them with solutions to the problem. The presentation of research material here deals with the challenge presenting the necessary literature on the challenge. Problem of Study The study presents the different challenges that the community faces in the wake of abnormal cancer screening in patients. The developing abnormal cancer screening in the underserved patients requires follow up in the patient navigation program. The different patient navigation programs developed aimed at dealing with patient challenges in relation to handling challenges such as cancer screening with quest to handle cancer in general as a problem. The challenge that the patient navigation program faces is the development of a cancer-screening program that ensures through management of the problem. The whole process seems to provide an ineffective answer to the diagnostic challenges that management of cancer faces. The problem provokes the need to improve the cancer diagnostic resolution to present viable results. Significance The study presents a number of significance levels to different people in ranging from the writer, the future research developers on the same subject, the community and the government. The study is significant in the presentation of information that could guide medical workers in dealing with the problem and improving the cancer screening process. This significance plays to the researcher and the medical workers. The study is significant to the community in providing them with the necessary information and ensuring they obtain quality cancer care from the different health facilities. Medical workers obtain the different positions that the diagnostic failures present in fighting cancer in the undervalued in community will help their understanding in the challenge and provide them with an opportunity to improve the quality of care given to cancer patients. Background of the Study A number of cancer patients succumb to poor and untimely cancer screening processes that fail to care for the problem earlier leaving them vulnerable to the problem. The challenge has remained in the community for a long period and the development of a patient navigation program aimed at solving the problem. Disparities in Cancer health have grown among many states as the challenge due to failure in dealing with the diagnostic challenges on time to create a solution through a patient navigation program. The patient navigation program was developed to take care of the challenges that cancer patients face. Challenges with treatment disparities, proper effective diagnostic results and equipment, provision of the services to the undervalued in the society are all part of the major lead to the study. Developing an effective system that considers patient navigation to help alleviate abnormal cancer screening through the improvement of the diagnostic resolution measures is what many of the studies conducted in this field consider. The abnormal cancer screening effects are on the rise and these pose a risk to the society and a challenge in the fight against cancer. It is therefore of vital essence to conduct a study and identify the effectiveness of the patient navigation program through which the diagnostic resolution on patients undervalued in relation to screening for cancer relates. Research Questions and State Them in A PICOT Format The research questions rotate around the aspects of patient navigation programs and the diagnostic resolutions after abnormal cancer screening in underserved patients. Three questions will aid in the study and these are as below: How effective are the patient navigation program for underserved patients? What means can aid in improving diagnostic resolution after an abnormal cancer screening? What is the relationship between the patient navigation program for the underserved patients and the diagnostic resolutions in dealing with abnormal cancer screening? These questions above compressed in respect to the PICOT format will appear as below taking a time of three to six months PICOT Question In underserved adult patients who have abnormal cancer screening, the effectiveness of a Patient Navigator Program (PNP), as compared to the traditional care for cancer in improving and ensuring Diagnostic Resolution for a period of six months to twelve months. CHAPTER II Literature Review Article One The first article relates to the Boston patient navigation program and its relationship with the diagnostic resolution after abnormal cancer screening. According to this article, studies to assess the several impacts that patient navigations have on the cancer patients that rate more vulnerable is essential. A quasi-experiment as per the patient navigation program aimed at patients suffering from breast cancer and cervical cancer (Battaglia, Bak, Hereen, Chen, Kalish, Tringale, Taylor, Lottero, Thakrar & Freund, 2012). According to this experiment, one of the experiments served as a control assignment for another through which the results become easy to interpret and relate. Among the many participating institutions, the patients had an abnormal cervical and breast cancer involved the analysis of the patients in relation to the patient navigation program through which the patients provided the necessary results for the experiment. The differences between the bases and the intervention period provided for the study to analyze the different variables. The study enrolled 997 people for analysis and the baseline period provided and 3041 for the intervention. Through this, the results provided a viable lead into the different diagnostic resolution challenges that will help improve the effectiveness of the patient navigation program. For an effective patient navigation program, there is need to consider all the different research material existing on the topic to provide grounds for considering other studies. Through these studies, the underserved patients suffering from cancer and that had obtained abnormal cancer screening are in position to obtain a different test and ensure that the program cares for their reevaluation and treatment. The study conducted details the diagnosis aspects that benefit the underserved population in the community. Through the patient navigation program, cancer management disparities are addressed and the time taken to care for patients after an abnormal cancer screening is reduced hence improving chances of management. Article Two In the second article, an attempt to reduce the time taken for a correction of an abnormal cancer screening and the definitive resolution in diagnosis was considered in the underserved populations living within the Tampa Bay, Florida. A cluster-randomized design of data collection was applied through which 10 care clinics came into consideration. The diagnostic resolution time and the time through which the abnormal cancer screening was done came to consideration. A Cox proportional hazard model was used to assess how effective patient navigation program is in shortening this time. Over 1039 patients were involved in the study. The study concluded that the patient navigation program contributes to the increment of the timeliness that the diagnostic resolution in relation to patients with cancer abnormalities. The study also revealed that the patient navigation program did not influence the resolution diagnosis positively for the first three months and started improving after to finally getting better. Patient navigation programs require time and proper planning aspects in creating an effective way of dealing with the problem. If the program is not effective enough, the abnormalities in cancer screening for underserved patients becomes difficult to identify and resolve. According to the same article, underserved people normally experience delays in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer (Lee, Fulp, Wells, Meade, Calcano & Roetzheim, 2013). The later stages of cancer especially cervical cancer normally experience delays which could result into deaths if not taken care of and hence the need to improve the patient navigation program. These delays as per the same study indicate that a delay of three months or more could result in high levels of mortality with limited chances of survival. Improving the patient navigation program will see to the reduction of the time. Article Three The study that the paper focuses on is developing effective means of providing cancer care in the country to the undervalued communities. The provision of this care requires an approach that is centered on the constant review of the different needs and the effectiveness of the system in place to care for the patients. As an emerging strategy, patient navigation has developed to overcome these barriers. Through this system, an understanding into the diagnosis, initial therapies and different care for cancer patients is developed providing reasonable and effective management programs to the undervalued in community. The need for nurses and other medical workers to understand these management needs is essential in adding their roles in cancer care. The undervalued people in community include the poor, the minorities in relation to race and the different people that find difficulties in attaining cancer care yet suffering from abnormal cancer screening aspects. Minority women groups and people suffering from this problem obtain care and proper management through the navigation program within a shorter time from the time a diagnosis is taken to the time a full therapy is administered leading to an improvement in the cancer care of this group of people (Dudley, Drake, Quinlan, Holden, Karnad & Ramirez, 2012). The study discusses the difficulties that the minorities undergo in seeking cancer care. The Institute of Medicine provided the evidence that the racial aspects and the ethnic minorities in the community receive lower quality medical care in relation to cancer treatment. It is the same reason that the congress passed the Patient Navigation Outreach and Chronic Disease Prevention Act of 2005 with the aim of taking care of these minority groups and other cancer challenges that the different communities face. Article Four The development of the patient navigation program saw to the development of the Patient Navigation Institute as founded by Harold P. Freeman in 1990. The first development of the program featured the poor and the people that are did not have insurance in Harlem. The program through the institute aimed at reducing the disparities that access to diagnosis of cancer and its treatment. Through the initiative, different funders came up to enhance the program with a grant of over $2.5 M from Amgen Foundation, Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Care among other different parties that found the program of importance to the community. The institute brought standard and well thought through customized best practices treatment programs to the underserved populations. The institute serves to save different lives from cancer and other different chronic disease that are expensive to treat and have many minorities succumb to due to their inability to cater for the care necessary. The core values that it employs include the provision of information on the different examinations on different diseases; eliminate barriers to accessing the necessary health care and the timeliness in providing treatment to patients that obtain abnormal results or findings that prove suspicious (Harold P. Navigation Institute, 2013). Through the institute, patient navigation standards have been set and developed based on the model by Harold and others have obtained the necessary learning experience that is necessary to keep them adhere to the different standards developed. As a nonprofit organization, the work done by the organization bases on funds raised through different programs developed and the interest in the different persons and organizations that finds the works of this group noble. Setting up its head offices in New York City aimed at placing itself at the center where there is ease in identification, the different branches spread over the country reach the locals, and the minorities find easy access to cancer care through the program. Article Five After the diagnosis of the underserved people, the treatment and care for the problem requires follow up that ensures that the patient adheres to the different aspects discussed during the screening process. The follow up cares for the different examination needs and the different analysis to ensure that the cancer is fully taken care of after early identification. The abnormal cancer screening results require consideration and evaluation to present a more effective approach that will help educate the patient and care for them in quest to heal them. The different programs developed around the country to deal with the time taken to deal with cancer diagnosis problems provides results in the different achievements that the program passed by congress has contributed to the health care sector in relation to treating cancer problems. Patients reaching for diagnostic resolution should indicate and increase. The time from when an abnormal cancer screening test is conducted to a time when diagnostic resolution is conducted in an effective manner should reduce too if the program indicates a positive influence (Markossian, Darnell & Calhoun, 2012). The different diagnostic resolution challenges developed in the program are handled in the different program reviews creating solutions that help improve the program. The patient navigation program relies more on the medical workers and the need for their understanding of the different aspects in the program provides for the improvement in the program. Conclusion on the Literature Review The literature review provides the different articles that relate with the problems and variables identified in the study and through them, the study is guided to provide results that are more positive. Through different experimental considerations, the populations identified as the underserved are put into consideration and covered in the treatment plan. The diagnostic resolution means through the patient navigation program are improved providing the study with grounds for having a positive impact in the health field. Conducting studies in both pretest and posttest designs provide the study with more accurate results. Through these, the validity of the study is more dependable (Melnyk & Fineout-Overholt, 2011). References Battaglia, T., Bak, S., Hereen, T., Chen, C., Kalish, R., Tringale, S., Taylor, J., Lottero, B., Thakrar, N., & Freund, K. (2012). Boston patient navigation research program: The impact of navigation time to diagnostic resolution after abnormal cancer screening. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23045539 Dudley, D., Drake, J., Quinlan, J., Holden, A., Karnad, A., & Ramirez, A. (2012). Beneficial effects of a combined navigator/promotora approach for Hispanic women diagnosed with breast abnormalities. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3469583/ Harold P. Freeman Patient Navigation Institute. (2013). Patient navigation institute. Retrieved from http://www.hpfreemanpni.org/about-us/ Lee, J., Fulp, W., Wells, K., Meade, C., Calcano, E., & Roetzheim, R. (2013). Patient navigation and time to diagnostic resolution: Results for a cluster randomized trail evaluating the efficacy of patient navigation among patients with breast cancer screening abnormalities, Tampa, FL. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3774725/ Markossian, T., Darnell, J., & Calhoun, E. (2012). Follow-up and timeliness after an abnormal cancer screening among underserved, urban women in a patient navigation program. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23045544 Melnyk, B., & Fineout-Overholt, E. (2011). Evidence-based practice in nursing and healthcare. A guide to best practice (2nd ed.). Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams and Wilkins. Read More