title: Satisfaction with cancer care among underserved racial-ethnic minorities and lower-income patients receiving patient navigation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patient navigation is a barrier-focused program of care coordination designed to achieve timely and high-quality cancer-related care for medically underserved racial-ethnic minorities and the poor. However, to the authors' knowledge, few studies to date have examined the relationship between satisfaction with navigators and cancer-related care.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors included data from 1345 patients with abnormal cancer screening tests or a definitive cancer diagnosis who participated in the Patient Navigation Research Program to test the efficacy of patient navigation. Participants completed demographic questionnaires and measures of patient satisfaction with cancer-related care (PSCC) and patient satisfaction with interpersonal relationship with navigator (PSN-I). The authors obtained descriptive statistics to characterize the sample and conducted regression analyses to assess the degree of association between PSN-I and PSCC, controlling for demographic and clinical factors. Analyses of variance were conducted to examine group differences controlling for statistically significant covariates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Statistically significant relationships were found between the PSCC and PSN-I for patients with abnormal cancer screening tests (1040 patients; correlation coefficient (r), 0.4 [P<.001]) and those with a definitive cancer diagnosis (305 patients; correlation coefficient, 0.4 [P<.001]). The regression analysis indicated that having an abnormal colorectal cancer screening test in the abnormal screening test group and increased age and minority race-ethnicity status in the cancer diagnosis group were associated with a higher satisfaction with cancer care (P<.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Satisfaction with navigators appears to be significantly associated with satisfaction with cancer-related care. Information regarding the patient-navigator relationship should be integrated into patient navigation programs to maximize the likelihood of reducing caner disparities and mortality for medically underserved racial-ethnic minorities and the poor.
authors: Department of Psychology, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana.|Cancer Neurocognitive Translational Research Laboratory, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana.
authors: Pascal
authors: P
authors: Jean-Pierre
authors: Department of Psychology, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana.
authors: Ying
authors: Y
authors: Cheng
authors: Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California.
authors: Kristen J
authors: KJ
authors: Wells
authors: Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy Studies, Tufts Medical Center and Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors: Karen M
authors: KM
authors: Freund
authors: NOVA Research Company, Silver Spring, Maryland.
authors: Frederick R
authors: FR
authors: Snyder
authors: Department of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York.
authors: Kevin
authors: K
authors: Fiscella
authors: Institute for Health Promotion Research, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas.
authors: Alan E
authors: AE
authors: Holden
authors: Comprehensive Cancer Center, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.
authors: Electra D
authors: ED
authors: Paskett
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia.
authors: Donald J
authors: DJ
authors: Dudley
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois.
authors: Melissa A
authors: MA
authors: Simon
authors: Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado at Denver, Denver, Colorado.
authors: Patricia A
authors: PA
authors: Valverde
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008913:Minority Groups; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000208:ethnology / Q000628:therapy*; D062526:Patient Navigation; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011203:Poverty; D011594:Psychometrics; D035862:Vulnerable Populations / Q000208:ethnology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: cancer disparities; patient navigators; patient satisfaction with cancer-related care; patient satisfaction with navigators; psychometric validation; psychometrics