Dissemin is shutting down on January 1st, 2025

Published in

Libertas Academica, Clinical Medicine Insights: Oncology, (5), p. CMO.S6074, 2011

DOI: 10.4137/cmo.s6074

Links

Tools

Export citation

Search in Google Scholar

The Use of Patient Navigators to Improve Cancer Care for Hispanic Patients

Journal article published in 2011 by Loreley Robie, Daniela Alexandru, Daniela A. Bota ORCID
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

Full text: Download

Green circle
Preprint: archiving allowed
Green circle
Postprint: archiving allowed
Green circle
Published version: archiving allowed
Data provided by SHERPA/RoMEO

Abstract

Background Although the United States is one of the countries at the leading edge of medical breakthroughs and treatments, there are great disparities in the access to care among different socioeconomic strata. One of the most striking discrepancies regarding access to care is found among the ranks of the Hispanic population, which is the fastest growing minority in the United States, but for which cancer is the third leading cause of death. It is clear that better and timely treatment for cancer patients belonging to this minority is needed. Patient navigators can be an important tool to improve access to care of patients belonging to this minority group. Methods Through a systemic search, we identified seven articles that employed patient navigators for Hispanic cancer patients. The identified studies addressed very limited pathology, three studying breast and four colon cancer patients. Conclusions The presence of patient navigation can be an effective to remove impediments that limit the access to care in minority populations and can improve outcomes in Hispanic patients suffering from cancer. Further research to evaluate the cost of patient navigation in relationship to the added benefit early diagnosis, continued follow up and treatment is needed.