Background
Patient navigation is an intervention aimed at reducing barriers to healthcare for underserved populations as a means to reduce cancer health disparities. Despite the proliferation of patient navigation programs across the United States, information related to the economic impact and sustainability of these programs is lacking.
Method
Following a review of the relevant literature, the Health Services Research (HSR) cost workgroup of the American Cancer Society National Patient Navigator Leadership Summit met to examine cost data relevant to assessing the economic impact of patient navigation and to propose common cost metrics.
Results
Recognizing that resources available for data collection, management and analysis vary, five categories of core and optional cost measures were identified related to patient navigator programs, including, program costs, human capital costs, direct medical costs, direct non-medical costs and indirect costs.
Conclusion(s)
Information demonstrating economic as well as clinical value is necessary to make decisions about sustainability of patient navigation programs. Adoption of these common cost metrics are recommended to promote understanding of the economic impact of patient navigation and comparability across diverse patient navigation programs.