The American Cancer Society and patient navigation: Past and future perspectives.

Over the past 30 years, the American Cancer Society (ACS) has played a key role in shaping the field of patient navigation as a means to address cancer disparities. Through collaborations with organizations like the National Navigation Roundtable and the ACS Cancer Action Network, the ACS is uniquely positioned to help develop sustainable navigation models that directly address disparities in access to quality cancer care. As health systems continue to adapt and change in response to various factors, including an aging population and rapid advances in screening and treatment, it is important to evaluate existing navigation-delivery models and promote those that are sustainable while maximizing reach and impact and providing the greatest return on investment (ROI). In this report, the term ROI is used to describe the potential financial gain resulting from the navigation service (ROI = net gains/total program cost). Calculating net gains requires assigning a monetary value to key outcomes and subtracting this amount from the total program cost. ROI is a measure often used by health care executives to show the savings or financial benefit from a program or service. Other measures of financial impact exist that may be of greater or lesser value to program leadership, including cost effectiveness (if financial information for outcomes is not available) and cost-benefit analysis. Here, the current and future commitment of the ACS to advancing the field of patient navigation is outlined as an organizational priority and a key building block in their health equity strategy. By working with partners like the National Navigation Roundtable, the ACS can help guide efforts to evaluate these approaches, with the goal of identifying the most effective and potentially sustainable models of delivery while also increasing equitable access to care.

Barriers and opportunities to measuring oncology patient navigation impact: Results from the National Navigation Roundtable survey.

BACKGROUND: Patient navigation improves cancer care delivery for those most at risk for poor outcomes. Lack of sustainable funding threatens the full integration of navigation services into health care delivery systems. Standardized navigation metrics that document impact and identify best practices are necessary to support sustainability. METHODS: The National Navigation Roundtable administered a web-based, cross-sectional survey to oncology patient navigation programs to identify barriers and facilitators to the use of navigation metrics. The 38-item survey asked about data-collection practices and specific navigation metrics used by the program. Exploratory and descriptive statistics were used to identify factors associated with data collection and reporting. RESULTS: Seven hundred fifty respondents from across the country represented navigation programs across the continuum of care. Although 538 respondents (72%) reported participating in routine data collection, only one-half of them used data for reporting purposes. For the 374 programs that used electronic health records, only 40% had discrete, reportable navigation fields, and 25% had an identifier for navigated patients. Program funding was identified as the only characteristic associated with data collection, whereas the type of data collected was associated with work setting, participation in alternative payment models, and where on the continuum navigation services are provided. Respondents participating in an oncology accreditation program were more likely to collect specific outcome metrics across the continuum and to use those data for reporting purposes. The most common barriers to data collection were time (55%) and lack of support for complex data systems and/or platforms (50%). CONCLUSIONS: Inconsistent data collection and reporting of oncology navigation programs remain a threat to sustainability. Aligning data collection with oncology accreditation, funding, and reimbursement is a viable path forward.

Collective pursuit for equity in cancer care: The National Navigation Roundtable.

BACKGROUND: The evidence continues to build in support of implementing patient navigation to reduce barriers and increase access to care. However, health disparities remain in cancer outcomes. The goal of the National Navigation Roundtable (NNRT) is to serve as a convener to help support the field of navigation to address equity. METHODS: To examine the progress and opportunities for navigation, the NNRT submitted a collection of articles based on the results from 2 dedicated surveys and contributions from member organizations. The intent was to help inform what we know about patient navigation since the last dedicated examination in this journal 10 years ago. RESULTS: The online survey of >700 people described navigators and examined sustainability and policy issues and the longevity, specific role and function, and impact of clinical and nonclinical navigators in addition to the role of training and supervision. In addition, a full examination of coronavirus disease 2019 and contributions from member organizations helped further define progress and future opportunities to meet the needs of patients through patient navigation. CONCLUSIONS: To achieve equity in cancer care will demand the sustained action of virtually every component of the cancer care system. It is the hope and intent of the NNRT that the information presented in this supplement will be a catalyst for action in this collective action approach.

Preparedness and Cancer-Related Symptom Management among Cancer Survivors in the First Year Post-Treatment.

BACKGROUND: Many cancer survivors feel unprepared for the physical and psychosocial challenges that accompany the post-treatment care transition (i.e., re-entry phase), including management of cancer-related symptoms. Few studies have investigated personal and contextual factors associated with the extent of preparedness for re-entry or how they are related to cancer-related symptom management. PURPOSE: Data from the American Cancer Society's Cancer Survivor Transition Study examined (1) characteristics of breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer survivors (n = 1188) within the first year of completing treatment who are most and least prepared for re-entry; and (2) how preparedness level and other characteristics are related to cancer-related symptom management. METHODS: Stanton and colleagues' [1] conceptual model of survivorship guided the selection of interpersonal/environmental, individual, and disease/treatment-related characteristics as potential contributors to levels of preparedness and cancer-related symptom management using regression tree and multivariate linear regression analyses. RESULTS: Survivors, on average, felt moderately prepared for the transition to post-treatment care. Lowest levels of preparedness were found among survivors with relatively high depressive symptoms, low perceived quality of oncology-provided survivorship care, and limited discussion about potential side effects with a health professional. Poorer symptom management was associated with younger age, having more comorbid conditions, and lower preparedness, social support, and spirituality. CONCLUSION: Survivors who feel unprepared for the transition to post-treatment care report poorer cancer-related symptom management. Identification of factors associated with low perceived preparedness and poor cancer-related symptom management will assist in risk stratification and development of tailored interventions to meet the needs of cancer survivors during re-entry.

Milestones in mission: the work of the American Cancer Society's mission delivery.

Since its founding in 1913, the American Cancer Society (the Society) has played a prominent role in the fight against cancer. Through its presence in over 5,000 communities around the nation, the Society has explored and pursued innovative ideas, searched for breakthroughs, and pushed to have the nation understand the complexities of the disease. Ongoing assessment of the cancer problem, thoughtful strategic planning, and promotion of evidence-based cancer control programs are integral to the Society's mission. This paper provides a summary of these efforts.

Documenting the health insurance needs of cancer patients and providing scarce resolutions.

The American Cancer Society's Health Insurance Assistance Service provides callers to its National Cancer Information Center with detailed knowledge to help them access or maintain health insurance coverage for which they might be eligible. Demographic data from April 2009 to June 2011 show that 76 % were uninsured and between the ages of 40-60; 65 % were Caucasian, 17 % African American, and 12% Hispanic; and monthly incomes were $1,999 or less. Current trends indicate that callers are similar to those identified in various health care reform publications: callers are unable to afford co-pays; facilities are requesting cash upfront; callers report loss of coverage, less adequate or less affordable coverage from employers; large out-of-pocket expense or high deductibles are needed; and modification of the CDC's Breast and Cervical Screening Program's eligibility guidelines create challenges. Six lessons that have been learned while initiating and managing this program are presented.

African American participation and success in telephone counseling for smoking cessation.

INTRODUCTION: Quitlines that provide telephone counseling for smoking cessation have been proved to be effective. All 50 states currently provide free quitline access to their residents; however, little research has been published on African American utilization of quitlines or their success rates. METHODS: This study evaluated how effectively African Americans are served by telephone counseling (quitline) for smoking cessation based on empirical data from 45,510 callers from Texas, Louisiana, Washington, and District of Columbia and randomized clinical trial data from 3,522 participants. RESULTS: African Americans tended to use a quitline in proportions greater than their proportional representation in the smoking communities in both states and the District. African American quit rates were equivalent to those of non-Hispanic "Whites" as were their levels of satisfaction with the service and the number of counseling sessions they completed. African Americans were more likely to request counseling than non-Hispanic Whites. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that telephone counseling is a promising tool for addressing health disparities related to smoking among African Americans.

Dyadic efficacy for smoking cessation: preliminary assessment of a new instrument.

INTRODUCTION: Smoking cessation research has demonstrated a link between social support and quitting, but interventions designed to enhance partner support have often failed. We adapted and tested a measure of dyadic efficacy to assess smokers' confidence in their abilities to work together as a team with their partners to quit smoking and cope with quitting challenges. Our goal was to establish the psychometric properties of the dyadic efficacy instrument, including its associations with cessation outcomes. METHODS: We recruited partnered smokers who called the American Cancer Society's Quitline and administered telephone interviews (N = 634, 59% female, average age = 40 years). Interviews included 8 dyadic efficacy items and a variety of sociodemographic, smoking history, and relationship variables at baseline and quit outcomes at 4 months. RESULTS: Factor analysis of the dyadic efficacy items yielded a 1-factor scale with strong internal consistency (α = .92). Dyadic efficacy was positively associated (p < .0001) with smoking-specific support (r = .51), relationship satisfaction (r = .44), and dyadic coping (r = .54). Dyadic efficacy was not associated with age, gender, race, relationship length, smoking quantity, or previous quit attempts. Respondents with smoking partners who were willing to quit with them had higher dyadic efficacy than those whose smoking partners were not (p < .0001). Higher baseline dyadic efficacy was predictive of 7-day point prevalence quit rates at follow-up (odds ratio = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.02-1.53). CONCLUSIONS: With further study, dyadic efficacy may enhance our understanding of the role of partner relationships in smoking cessation.

Randomized controlled trial of an interactive internet smoking cessation program with long-term follow-up.

BACKGROUND: Internet programs for smoking cessation are widely available but few controlled studies demonstrate long-term efficacy. PURPOSE: To determine the 13-month effectiveness of an Internet program presenting a set sequence of interactive steps, and the role of depressed affect. METHODS: In a randomized controlled trial sponsored by the American Cancer Society, a treatment condition (n = 1,106) was compared to a control site (n = 1,047). RESULTS: More treatment condition participants were abstinent (30-day point prevalence) than control site participants (12.9% vs. 10.1%, p < .05) at 13 months. This effect was greater among participants not reporting depressed affect (15.0% vs. 10.1%, p < .01). Among smokers who reported depressed affect, there was no difference in abstinence between the treatment and control conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Data support the long-term efficacy of an Internet intervention for cessation modeled on a structured, in-person treatment approach, especially for participants not experiencing daily depressed affect.

Comparing internet assistance for smoking cessation: 13-month follow-up of a six-arm randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Although many smokers seek Internet-based cessation assistance, few studies have experimentally evaluated long-term cessation rates among cigarette smokers who receive Internet assistance in quitting. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to describe long-term smoking cessation rates associated with 6 different Internet-based cessation services and the variation among them, to test the hypothesis that interactive and tailored Internet services yield higher long-term quit rates than more static Web-posted assistance, and to explore the possible effects of level of site utilization and a self-reported indicator of depression on long-term cessation rates. METHOD: In 2004-05, a link was placed on the American Cancer Society (ACS) website for smokers who wanted help in quitting via the Internet. The link led smokers to the QuitLink study website, where they could answer eligibility questions, provide informed consent, and complete the baseline survey. Enrolled participants were randomly assigned to receive emailed access to one of five tailored interactive sites provided by cooperating research partners or to a targeted, minimally interactive ACS site with text, photographs, and graphics providing stage-based quitting advice and peer modeling. RESULTS: 6451 of the visitors met eligibility requirements and completed consent procedures and the baseline survey. All of these smokers were randomly assigned to one of the six experimental groups. Follow-up surveys done online and via telephone interviews at approximately 13 months after randomization yielded 2468 respondents (38%) and found no significant overall quit rate differences among those assigned to the different websites (P = .15). At baseline, 1961 participants (30%) reported an indicator of depression. Post hoc analyses found that this group had significantly lower 13-month quit rates than those who did not report the indicator (all enrolled, 8% vs 12%, P < .001; followed only, 25% vs 31%, P = .003). When the 4490 participants (70%) who did not report an indicator of depression at baseline were separated for analysis, the more interactive, tailored sites, as a whole, were associated with higher quitting rates than the less interactive ACS site: 13% vs 10% (P = .04) among 4490 enrolled and 32% vs 26% (P = .06) among 1798 followed. CONCLUSIONS: These findings show that Internet assistance is attractive and potentially cost-effective and suggest that tailored, interactive websites may help cigarette smokers who do not report an indicator of depression at baseline to quit and maintain cessation.

Weight Gain After Quitting: Attitudes, Beliefs and Counselling Strategies of Cessation Counsellors.

Postcessation weight gain is common and a frequent cause of relapse. Although interventions to address weight gain and weight gain concerns exist, the experience of telephone cessation coun- sellors in addressing weight concerns is unknown. We surveyed 134 cessation counsellors providing quitlines for 30 states regarding their experiences and attitudes about how to address weight gain concerns among smokers trying to quit. Counsellors estimated they discuss weight in 40% of their calls, primarily discussing concerns about gaining weight. Counsellors estimated that smokers gain about 4.1 kg after quitting and about 48% gain more than 2.3 kg. Most counsellors believed that exercise, education about weight gain and preparing smokers for weight gain would help people quit, which is consistent with current science. A total of 51% of counsellors believed that dieting while quitting would reduce weight gain and only 35% correctly identified that dieting reduces a smokers' ability to quit. Some counsellors believed they needed more training in weight management and may need to be reassured that they are currently following treatment guidelines when confronted with smokers who have concerns about postcessation weight gain.