Implementation of a Virtual Oncology Navigation Model to Improve Patient Access

Deborah Christensen, MSN, APRN, AOCNS, Cancer Help Desk, shares findings from the implementation of survey findings assessing patient and caregiver perceptions of cancer care in a virtual navigation model. The cancer navigation model provided personalized patient resources and addressed patients’ questions in order to improve patient access to precision oncology care.

Transcript:

Hi, I'm Deb Christensen. I am the Chief Patient Officer of Cancer Help Desk, and I am an oncology nurse. I've been an oncology nurse for about 18 years. The last half of my nursing career I have really enjoyed helping cancer patients both in the facilities and out here in the big world as a nonprofit organization.

I'm going to talk today a little bit about some research that we did with Bentley University interns under the direction of Helen Mildren, the associate professor there, and how they helped us to set the stage for what Cancer Help Desk would eventually be doing. We wanted to do some preliminary research to find out if our thought processes, that people were lacking in biomarker testing, which the research supported, and then access to clinical trials, if those were 2 areas where people really needed some help and assistance.

We know that there are a lot of barriers to precision oncology, including patient barriers themselves, healthcare provider barriers and institutional barriers as well. Cancer Help Desk's main goal was to expand the access to clinical trials and biomarker testing specifically, just to supply support to people no matter where they lived, in rural communities or in communities with easy access to healthcare.

We were contacted by Bentley University to give their interns an opportunity. There were 5 to 7 interns that worked on this project. They sent out a survey, so we designed a survey in conjunction with the students. It had 10 scaled rating questions along with 6 open-ended questions, and the topics really were on finding reliable information. How did people find reliable information? What were their most difficult obstacles that they faced personally? Did they feel like they were offered all options or just the options that were available in the location they were at? And then understand did they understand their treatment choices? The emerging themes that came out did support our hypothesis that people do have difficulty accessing reliable information.

There were several many open-ended comments that supported that barriers to coordinating care among multiple providers. This was an interesting one, and I think from the standpoint of educating patients to understand that you wouldn't want your bug spray guy cooking dinner for you, that there are specialists for a reason that that's their very astute specialty. That's why you see multiple providers in oncology care. Then the ongoing need for trusted, trustworthy resources. We understand that in today's world, there is so much information that people are faced with information overload and how do we sift through this and how do we figure out what applies to us and what doesn't?

The survey responses really supported our hypothesis that virtual navigation would be a valued service and a helpful service to people with cancer achieving precision oncology care. When we speak about precision oncology care, we're really talking about using the precise biomarkers, the tumor characteristics along with the tumor environment, these types of things to make sure that people are getting the most precise care possible.

We also talk about personalized oncology care, and I think that's what Cancer Help Desk really pushes to do is to personalize that care. That takes into consideration all types of a person's life, their financial situation, their support system, all of these types of things that come into really personalizing care for people going through cancer and that's what we definitely specialize in.

When a person contacts Cancer Help Desk, they are afforded the time with an oncology nurse navigator that can answer those clinical questions. We do feel like an oncology nurse, or a private practice physician (PPP) would be a good option for this role and then really assessing those personalized needs. Every patient receives a cancer resource guide, and this is at no charge to the patients at all. We always encourage people to discuss any suggestions that are given or options that are given to discuss those with their oncologist. If they need coaching on how to talk with their doctor, we definitely help with that. Cancer Help Desk doesn't give medical advice. It simply is what we hope to be a tool for the patients as well as for providers that we can some of their work by sending them a patient that is more educated and has had many of their questions answered prior to coming into the oncology visit or an oncology visit where treatments have changed or what have you.

In our first 18 months, we were able to provide essential navigation to 190 patients. Most of the referrals came from word of mouth. We didn't do a mass advertising campaign or anything. 160 of those received a personalized resource guide. When I talk about a personalized resource guide, I mean tailored down, so taking that massive information that's out there, looking at the patient's needs, and then funneling snippets of information, kind of the TikTok of oncology. In this case,105 people had their clinical questions answered. We did do case reviews on 100 of those patients, and we provided a scientific review, which is a fee-based service where our scientists looked deeply at the biology of the tumor and augment what the oncologist is suggesting or suggest additional things for the patient to discuss with their oncologist.

We know that there is a dearth of availability for patients in both the institutional settings, rural settings, and we service people from all over the country. We know from our experience tells us that we, even when a patient is being seen at a medical institution that is highly revered, that they are very up-to-date on their clinical trials, but may not know about the details about other clinical trials elsewhere. That's another reason that Cancer Help Desk was formed.

The research definitely supported that people needed help with clinical trials. They were very overwhelming to them, and that's the reason I'm in this business that I'm in. That's why I co-founded Cancer Help Desk was because at the end of a 10-year journey with a patient that she had tried everything, was going to a very good doctor, but at the end of her journey was told it's time to look for a clinical trial. I, as her navigator, didn't know where to turn. So, I knew this was a very needed service and happy to provide that to patients and to help providers as well. Thank you.

Source:

Christensen D. Informing a Virtual Oncology Navigation Model to Offer Nationwide Assistance to People Facing Cancer. Presented at Oncology Nursing Society Congress; April 9-13, 2025. Denver, CO.