Pilots of oncology health care: a concept analysis of the patient navigator role.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To summarize the current scientific literature pertaining to the role of the patient navigator in oncology using the concept analysis framework developed by Walker and Avant.

DATA SOURCES

Published research articles, clinical articles, and Internet sources on patient navigator roles and programs. Literature was obtained from CINAHL, PubMed, PsycINFO, the Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar, incorporating reports in English from 1990-2008.

DATA SYNTHESIS

Patient navigation has received a plethora of attention as healthcare programs strive to streamline care and address current gaps in service delivery. The literature revealed that the role of the patient navigator remains context-specific and has been filled by a variety of individuals, including nurses, social workers, peer supporters, and lay individuals.

CONCLUSIONS

The role of a patient navigator includes removing barriers to care, improving patient outcomes, and ameliorating the overall quality of healthcare delivery.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING

By examining the role of the patient navigator depicted in the scientific literature, nurses can gain insight into not only the features of navigation but also the current systematic gaps that call for navigation services. This article examines the numerous functions of a patient navigator and exemplifies the significance of the role in various domains.