Networking Breast Cancer Navigator Programs in N California
Creators: name: University Of California Office Of The President
Publisher: name: University of California Office of the President
publisherIdentifier: https://ror.org/00dmfq477
publisherIdentifierScheme: ROR
Year: 2024

description: Assisting those affected by a breast cancer diagnosis through the myriad systems involved in obtaining medical care, has become known as "navigation". This term was coined by Dr. Harold Freeman of Harlem Hospital in New York in the 1980's to describe a program that he developed that helped underserved community members find their way through the medical system. Services described as navigation, are being provided at different levels by various types of individuals and/or agencies in Northern California. Those of us providing navigation services are using all of our resources to run the program and serve as many people as possible. Thus far, there has not been a mechanism to bring our organizations together to reap the benefits of our mutual experiences, explore potential resource sharing or develop ways to measure the benefit and quality of the services provided. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 While trying to develop a new navigation program at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, we discovered that we could not locate information about existing programs. This led us to confer with other breast cancer service providers, both medical center and community based. A Steering Committee was formed and the group invited others that they knew of from all over Northern California to attend a meeting in March, 2006. Admission to the conference was gained by completing a lengthy survey. Many issues were identified through the survey as well as at the meeting. The consensus of the meeting was that future work together would yield the following benefits: Increase knowledge of navigation programs in Northern California and share contact information; expand or develop informational and support networks; identify possible areas of collaboration leveraging our combined expertise; develop/identify tools to share; identify quality measures for navigation services; develop an evaluation tool that captures outcome data that all programs can use and methods for data entry and collection; develop a grant application for community collaboration research. This proposal is requesting funding to hold a second full day conference to form the framework to accomplish these objectives. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 The main purposes of this project are: 1) Bringing together providers of breast cancer navigation services to encourage networking and resource sharing will extend each individual program's resources. 2) The conference as described will facilitate the development of documentation and measurement of breast cancer navigation services and serve as a resource to new programs as well as provide evidence based literature of the value of navigation services.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 A full day conference will be conducted. The meeting will begin with a discussion of the analysis of the data collected through the previous survey instrument. Work groups will be formed based on the areas selected, considering effectiveness and challenges of navigation service provision. The tools and networks developed at the conference will be disseminated for use in the individual navigation programs to assist in further service improvement, study of the issues and instigating change in public policy. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Very little documentation exists about the initiation and performance of breast cancer navigation services. Beginning with the data and analysis that we have begun through the first conference, we will be able to document all aspects of these services and share/extend resources. This has not been done before.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Several advocacy groups were involved in the planning of and attended the first conference. These include: Breast Cancer Action, Women's Cancer Resource Center, Charlotte Maxwell Complementary Clinic, Friends of Faith and Mendocino Cancer Resource Center. The issues that breast cancer navigation deals with are the concerns of all advocacy groups. Navigators can insure access regardless of insurance status, make sure a person has the information that they want in language that they understand, give information that will explain choices about treatments and/or care, make sure that appropriate respect is given to the person, establish accountability with the care providers and give feedback to continuously improve care.