In 2025, highlights in oncology patient navigation included an expanded focus on patient empowerment and supportive care, improved navigator training and competencies, and continuation of coding and reimbursement policies. Standardized metrics held true with elevated patient outcomes, positive patient experiences, and a return on investment for the system investing in the navigation process.
The Association of Cancer Care Centers in partnership with the Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators (AONN+) assembled a survey to gather insights into the benefits and challenges of implementing navigation services in oncology clinical practice.1 Respondents agreed that patient navigation services are important in improving access to care, addressing patient health-related social needs, and increasing patient trust. This survey, as well as others by national navigation groups, continue to demonstrate that adoption of Principal Illness Navigation codes to support navigation reimbursement is low. But work continues in this area with successful models from the Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute and RWJBarnabas Health leading the way.
Oncology navigators continued to seek knowledge that reflects current navigation practice. The George Washington University’s Oncology Patient Navigation Training was updated in 2025 to reflect new evidence, improve inclusivity for diverse populations, and ensure alignment with Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services requirements.2 The AONN+ Acuity Toolkit was revealed, with the features and functionality of the digital component shared at the 2025 conference. Finally, there is a start to answer how many patients a navigator can navigate!
Organizations are working to make navigation programs sustainable through better program structure, standardized workflows, and clear metrics for demonstrating value. This was supported and continues to be enhanced by the new American Cancer Society National Navigation Roundtable guide—Promising Practices Supporting the Sustainability of Patient Navigation: An Implementation Guide.3 This is supported by an article that examines the critical issue of sustainability capacity within patient navigation programs based on the domains of the Patient Navigation Sustainability Framework.4
And the major focus of patient navigation, ensuring healthcare services are accessible to underserved populations and addressing systemic barriers to care, was best reflected in enrollment and retention of diverse patients into clinical trials.5 This diverse patient representation increases the generalizability of clinical trial findings.
In 2025 and beyond, oncology patient navigation will continue to be valuable as it provides personalized support along the entire oncology care continuum with navigators acting as a trusted contact point, reducing the feeling of being overwhelmed in the care system and providing education along with emotional support. Technology will allow easier ways to document as well as communicate with our patients electronically, but the navigator human touch will remain.
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