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Citation |
McKenney KM, Martinez NG, Yee LM. Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol. 2018; 218(3): 280-286. |
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Affiliation |
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL. Electronic address: Lynn.yee@northwestern.edu. |
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Copyright |
(Copyright © 2018, Elsevier Publishing) |
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DOI |
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PMID |
28844825 |
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Abstract |
Patient navigation is a patient-centered intervention that uses trained personnel to identify patient-level barriers, including financial, cultural, logistical, and educational obstacles to health care, then mitigate these barriers to facilitate complete and timely access to health services. For example, in order to assist a Medicaid patient seeking postpartum care, a patient navigator could help her schedule an appointment before her insurance benefits change, coordinate transportation and childcare, give her informational pamphlets on contraception options, and accompany her to the appointment to ensure her questions are answered. Existing studies examining the efficacy of patient navigation interventions show particularly striking benefits in the realm of cancer care, including gynecologic oncology; patient navigation has been demonstrated to increase access to screening, shorten time to diagnostic resolution, and improve cancer outcomes, particularly in health disparity populations, such as women of color, rural populations, and poor women. Due to the successes in cancer care at reducing disparities in health care access and health outcomes, patient navigation has the potential to improve care and reduce disparities in obstetric and benign gynecologic care. We review the concept of patient navigation, offer potential roles for patient navigation in obstetrics and gynecology, and discuss areas for further investigation. Language: en |
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Keywords |
delivery of health care; health disparities; navigators; patient navigation; women’s health |