Shana Smith, MSN, RN, OCN
The Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators (AONN+) is pleased to announce the AONN+ CATCH Initiative! Short for Catching & Addressing Threats to Care & Health, the AONN+ CATCH Initiative is a reporting system to track and acknowledge the positive outcomes of navigation interventions. Each month, AONN+ will recognize a navigator for making a “Catch.”
What Is a CATCH?
A CATCH is a navigation win where the navigator caught an issue and intervened to correct it.How Do I Report a CATCH?
Visit AONNonline.org/catch to submit a CATCH.The CATCH of the Month
The CATCH for July 2022 is awarded to Shana Smith, MSN, RN, OCN. Ms Smith is the oncology nurse navigator for the malignant hematology patient population at Vidant Medical Center.
Background: Ms Smith’s patient was to receive radiation as the last step in the treatment plan. The patient is a Spanish-speaking, low-income, undocumented/uninsured/unemployed female. The patient has a significant transportation barrier to care, and minimal social support. She relies on a neighbor to provide transportation to appointments.
The Incident: In April of this year, the patient shared that she will not have anyone to bring her for daily radiation treatments.
The CATCH (Intervention): Ms Smith contacted the radiation/financial coordinator to discuss the patient’s case, including her transportation and social support barriers to care, to determine if the patient qualifies for the institution-sponsored van for transportation to and from radiation appointments.
Outcome: The patient’s case was approved for the transportation van, which assists her in completing the final step in her treatment plan.
Alignment with AONN+ Metrics and Oncology Navigation Standards of Professional Practice
This Catch aligns with several of the AONN+ Standardized Metrics and the Oncology Navigation Standards of Professional Practice outlined on the following page.
Impact Statement
Each year, 3.6 million people in the United States do not obtain medical care due to transportation issues.1 Transportation is considered a significant social determinant of health,1,2 as lack of transportation can result in:
- Missed or delayed healthcare appointments
- Delayed care leading to potential disease progression
- Limited pharmacy access and decreased prescription refills
- Economic burden for patients and health system
- Overall poorer health outcomes
What are people saying about CATCH?
“Our first AONN+ CATCH demonstrates the value and
importance of navigation. The navigator addressed a top
barrier to care, the patient’s transportation. The patient
would not have been able to receive her radiation treatment
without the navigator’s assistance. Navigators work extremely
hard to demonstrate their value. This navigator’s
intervention aligns with 7 of the AONN+ metrics! The
navigator facilitated treatment compliance by addressing
the patient’s barrier to care. She facilitated multidisciplinary
communication, and ultimately the patient was retained
at the healthcare system, thus receiving optimal
treatment and equitable care.”
—Monica Dean, HON-OPN-CG;
AONN+ Director of Patient Navigation
“This navigator’s intervention addressed the patient’s multiple
socioeconomic barriers (uninsured, undocumented,
unemployed, language, low-income, transportation access,
minimal social support), potentially preventing disease progression,
disease recurrence, and financial burden, while
enhancing the patient’s access to care and quality of life.”
—Jordan Henderson, BSN, RN, OCN, ONN-CG;
AONN+ Director of Program Development
References
- American Hospital Association. Social Determinants of Health Series: Transportation. www.hpoe.org/resources/ahahret-guides/3078.
- Lyon K. The Life-Changing Link Between Transportation & Health. TripSpark. www.tripspark.com/blog/the-life-changing-link-between-transportation-health.
- Strusowski T, Sein E, Johnston D, et al. Standardized evidence-based oncology navigation metrics for all models. Journal of Oncology Navigation & Survivorship. 2017;8(5):220-243.
- The Professional Oncology Navigation Task Force. Oncology navigation standards of professional practice. Journal of Oncology Navigation & Survivorship. 2022;13(3):74-85.
