The collaborative efforts between the Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators (AONN+) and its sister organization, the Association of Chronic & Complex Care Nurse Navigators (ACCCNN), exemplify the powerful impact of strategic partnerships in healthcare. These organizations have united to advance navigation beyond oncology and hope their efforts will inspire similar collaborations and expansion of patient navigation across the healthcare industry.
“We need more navigators in other disease sites to help us manage patients, because no patient is simple anymore—you know it, and I know it—every patient has many comorbidities,” said Peg Rummel, RN, MHA, OCN, ON-CG, at the recent AONN+ Annual Conference. “Not having navigators in other disease sites makes it extremely difficult to manage these patients, so that’s what’s so great about having a sister organization.”
Ms Rummel, an oncology nurse navigator at Abramson Cancer Center in Philadelphia, provided a case study to illustrate the need for multidisciplinary navigation. She discussed a patient named Sharon, a 64-year-old African American woman simultaneously battling breast cancer and a chronic disease called amyloidosis. Her case was complex, involving multiple healthcare needs that required coordinated care across various specialties.
Amyloidosis is characterized by the accumulation of abnormal protein fibrils in various organs and tissues disrupting normal function. The disease is associated with blood cancer (but is not a form of cancer itself), and it is often misdiagnosed. Primarily treated with therapies commonly used in multiple myeloma, such as chemotherapy and stem cell transplants, this overlap in treatment strategies underscores the complexities of diagnosing and managing amyloidosis.
Sharon’s experience with the healthcare system highlights the necessity of a multidisciplinary approach to managing this disease. Her journey began with a referral from cardiology due to concerning lab results suggestive of amyloidosis. Her diagnosis and subsequent treatment plan required the collaborative efforts of specialists in oncology, hematology, and cardiology, in addition to financial navigation and social work, to address her comprehensive health needs.
“But I was sort of running the show by myself because I didn’t have navigators in these other areas,” said Ms Rummel.
After discharge from breast surgery, Sharon also required ongoing care coordination, necessitating her navigator to connect her with supportive services, including social work, home health, physical therapy, occupational therapy, nutrition, and psychosocial and financial referrals. According to Ms Rummel, both the patient and navigator would have benefited greatly from the communication and streamlined care provided by a multidisciplinary navigation team.
This case highlights the importance of navigation across specialties to ensure that all aspects of a patient’s treatment are addressed cohesively, from initial diagnosis through ongoing management. This includes components like financial navigation, which is absolutely critical for patients who are overwhelmed by the high costs associated with long-term treatments for chronic conditions like amyloidosis.
The AONN+ and ACCCNN collaboration also focuses on sharing of best practices and experiences, so that navigation teams can enhance their ability to manage complex patient needs more effectively.
The symbiotic partnership between these organizations exemplifies how collaborative efforts in healthcare can lead to better patient outcomes. Moving forward, both organizations are poised to continue their work in advancing the field of patient navigation and improving the care of patients with chronic and complex diseases.
“Navigation for chronic diseases is a really important part of patient care,” Ms Rummel said. “And I think as oncology navigators, we need to encourage and advocate for navigators in other disciplines.”
In the absence of navigators, she encourages finding a point person in other disciplines who can help co-manage these complex patients.
“These patients are complicated,” she added. “And it takes a village.”
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