title: Experiences of women of color with a nurse patient navigation program for linkage and engagement in HIV care.
abstract: Patient navigation, a patient-centered model of care coordination focused on reducing barriers to care, is an emerging strategy for linking patients to and retaining them in HIV care. The Guide to Healing Program (G2H), implemented at the Infectious Diseases Clinic at UNC Chapel Hill, provided patient navigation to women of color (WOC) new to or re-engaging in HIV care through a 'nurse guide' with mental health training and experience. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively explore patients' experiences working with the nurse guide. Twenty-one semi-structured telephone interviews with G2H participants were conducted. Interviews were transcribed and thematic analysis was utilized to identify patterns and themes in the data. Women's experiences with the nurse guide were overwhelmingly positive. They described the nurse guide teaching them critical information and skills, facilitating access to resources, and conveying authentic kindness and concern. The findings suggest that a properly trained nurse in this role can provide critical medical and psychosocial support in order to eliminate barriers to engagement in HIV care, and successfully facilitate patient HIV self-management. The nurse guide model represents a promising approach to patient navigation for WOC living with HIV.
authors.affiliation: 1 Center for Health Policy and Inequalities Research, Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University , Durham, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Kristen A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Sullivan
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schultz
authors.forename: Megan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ramaiya
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Berger
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Parnell
authors.forename: E Byrd
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Quinlivan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D044383:Black People / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003142:Communication; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008875:Middle Aged; D009657:North Carolina; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D062526:Patient Navigation; D015397:Program Evaluation; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States