Patient Navigation: Economics of Program Development and Implementation

In this age of consumer-driven health care and competitive markets, cancer centers must be innovative in their program development and offer personalized services to informed consumers. Many national medical societies and health care organizations have developed cancer service excellence criteria that include supportive care services as being an integral and preferred element of cancer care to support conventional biomedical treatments. Proper planning and thought must be given to a process that will design a navigation program that aligns specific customer requirements and enhances the patient, caregiver, and physician experience. A well-planned process will produce successful program components that eliminate or greatly reduce the need for costly redesigns or reorganization after implementation. The objectives of such a design would be to improve participant's health outcome and quality of life, manage side effects, prevent secondary infections and avoid secondary cancers, improve access to care, lower cost, and promote program growth.