Feasibility of Patient Navigation to Improve Breast Cancer Care in Malaysia

Autor: Zi-Yi Yeoh, Maheswari Jaganathan, Nadia Rajaram, Sudha Rawat, Nurul Ain Tajudeen, Norlia Rahim, Nur Hidayati Zainal, Sakthi Maniam, Ushananthiny Suvelayutnan, Rahani Yaacob, Vijayalakshmi Krishnapillai, Meor Zamari Meor Kamal, Soo-Hwang Teo, Mohamed Yusof Abdul Wahab
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2018
Předmět:
Zdroj: Journal of Global Oncology, Vol 4, Pp 1-13 (2018)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2378-9506
DOI: 10.1200/JGO.17.00229
Popis: Purpose: Late stage at presentation and poor adherence to treatment remain major contributors to poor survival in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Patient navigation (PN) programs in the United States have led to improvement in diagnostic or treatment timeliness, particularly for women in lower socioeconomic classes or minority groups. To date, studies of PN in Asia have been limited. We aimed to assess the feasibility of PN in a state-run hospital in an LMIC and to report the impact on diagnostic and treatment timeliness for patients in its first year of implementation. Methods: We established PN in a dedicated breast clinic of a Malaysian state-run hospital. We compared diagnostic and treatment timeliness between navigated patients (n = 135) and patients diagnosed in the prior year (n = 148), and described factors associated with timeliness. Results: Women with PN received timely mammography compared with patients in the prior year (96.4% v 74.4%; P < .001), biopsy (92.5% v 76.1%; P = .003), and communication of news (80.0% v 58.5%; P < .001). PN reduced treatment default rates (4.4% v 11.5%; P = .048). Among navigated patients, late stage at presentation was independently associated with having emotional and language barriers (P = .01). Finally, the main reason reported for delay, default, or refusal of treatment was the preference for alternative therapy. Conclusion: PN is feasible for addressing barriers to cancer care when integrated with a state-run breast clinic of an LMIC. Its implementation resulted in improved diagnostic timeliness and reduced treatment default. Wider adoption of PN could be a key element of cancer control in LMICs.
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