Satisfaction with cancer care among underserved racial-ethnic minorities and lower-income patients receiving patient navigation

Pascal Jean-Pierre*, Ying Cheng, Kristen J. Wells, Karen M. Freund, Frederick R. Snyder, Kevin Fiscella, Alan E. Holden, Electra D. Paskett, Donald J. Dudley, Melissa A. Simon, Patricia A. Valverde

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

19 Scopus citations

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. Cancer 2016;122:1060-1067.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1060-1067
Number of pages8
Journalcancer
Volume122
Issue number7
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 1 2016

Keywords

  • cancer disparities
  • patient navigators
  • patient satisfaction with cancer-related care
  • patient satisfaction with navigators
  • psychometric validation
  • psychometrics

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Oncology
  • Cancer Research

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