Abstract
Background and Aims: The Oncology Nurse Navigator randomized clinical trial at Group Health is testing whether providing oncology “nurse navigators” to patients newly diagnosed with lung, breast or colorectal cancer affects quality of life and satisfaction with care compared with patients in enhanced usual care. While implementing our research interventions, we integrated input from patients, community groups and the delivery system.
Methods: Group Health patients and community groups were invited to participate through word-of-mouth outreach by the study team. Our delivery system partners were distributed materials for input via e-mail, phone calls and team meetings. To date, stakeholders have been involved in three main activities. First, our enhanced usual care resource guide was developed after a panel discussion with Group Health patients, caregivers and a community advisor. Second, our nurse navigator training incorporated firsthand patient experiences. Third, our intervention protocols and processes were constructed from input with our oncology department and nurse navigator team.
Results: Patients and caregivers provided valuable insights and practical feedback while developing our study’s enhanced usual care resource guide. Their involvement revealed the importance of making materials feel accessible and upbeat. We have since presented the guide to Group Health’s cancer support group who commented they were, “Perfect!” The initial panel discussion was so useful that we invited stakeholders to participate in our nurse navigator training. Patients shared their experiences about feeling overwhelmed and unable to process information during a training session. The involvement of Group Health patients was especially enlightening for our seasoned nurses and emphasized the patient-centered design of our study. Since it is important for our nurse navigator intervention to be a viable delivery system program, input from clinical groups was integral to our protocols and processes. We have not only incorporated standard Group Health work into our intervention (e.g., fatigue assessment) but also, programmed our intervention into Group Health’s electronic medical record.
Conclusions: Stakeholders were willing and often eager to provide feedback on our research. Furthermore, obtaining guidance from these groups early on in this study was critical to building and implementing a truly patient-centered cancer care program.
- Received May 27, 2010.
- Accepted May 27, 2010.
