Trial Information

An Access Delivery Model That Eliminates Barriers to Breast Cancer Care Delivery With Emphasis on the Coordination of Care Within and Between an Outpatient Screening Facility and a Diagnostic and Treatment Center

This purpose of this protocol is to systematically evaluate the role of Patient Navigators,
non-medical personnel who assist in the coordination of care, for women attending a breast
cancer screening clinic in Harlem who are found to have a suspicious result. The concept of
patient navigation, developed by Dr. Harold Freeman, has been identified as a promising
strategy to reduce disparities in health care for minorities and the underserved.

This protocol will evaluate the role of the Patient Navigator in coordinating care for women
who are referred to the Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Care and Prevention (RLCCCP) from the
Breast Examination Center of Harlem (BECH). To achieve this, we propose four interrelated
tasks. First, we will characterize in detail the specific nature of the activities of the
Navigators as they remedy barriers to the receipt of breast cancer care. Secondly, we will
determine whether the presence of the Navigator minimizes the percentage of patients with
significant delays in receipt of necessary care. Third, we will measure patient satisfaction
with care and their perceptions of the value of the Navigator. Finally, we will provide a
baseline needs assessment of those (eligible) patients requiring pain and palliation
services.

Specific Aims:

1. To characterize the role of Patient Navigators by defining the specific tasks and
activities they perform in order to eliminate and/or reduce barriers to receipt of
cancer care.

2. To evaluate how the presence of a Patient Navigator influences the time intervals from
receipt of a suspicious screening mammogram or palpable breast mass to appropriate
diagnosis and or treatment.

3. To measure patient's satisfaction with the coordination of care in the presence of a
Patient Navigator.

4. To descriptively assess the pain and palliation needs of the population under study.