title: A Multidisciplinary Patient Navigation Program Improves Compliance With Adjuvant Breast Cancer Therapy in a Public Hospital.
abstract: Cancer health disparities affecting low-income and minority patients have been well documented to lead to poor outcomes. This report examines the impact of patient navigation on adherence to prescribed adjuvant breast cancer treatment. A multidisciplinary patient navigation program was initiated at a public safety net hospital to improve compliance with 3 National Quality Forum measures: (1) administration of combination chemotherapy for women with Stage (defined by the American Joint Committee on Cancer [AJCC]) T1c, II, or III hormone receptor-negative breast cancer within 120 days; (2) administration of endocrine therapy for women with AJCC Stage T1c, II, or III hormone receptor-positive breast cancer within 365 days; and (3) radiation therapy for women receiving breast-conserving surgery within one year. Implementation of a multidisciplinary patient navigation program reduced time to treatment and improved compliance with adjuvant therapy for breast cancer in an underserved minority community.
authors.affiliation: ¹Jacobi Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Castaldi
authors.affiliation: ²Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center, Bronx, NY.
authors.forename: Saman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Safadjou
authors.affiliation: ¹Jacobi Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY.
authors.forename: Tarek
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Elrafei
authors.affiliation: ¹Jacobi Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McNelis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000208:ethnology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006727:Hormone Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006779:Hospitals, Public / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D015412:Mastectomy, Segmental / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009519:New York City; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D062526:Patient Navigation / Q000458:organization & administration*; D064876:Safety-net Providers
chemical_list: D006727:Hormone Antagonists
keywords: adjuvant therapy; breast cancer; disparity in health care; patient navigation; public hospital