Key messages

• The patient navigator role originated in the USA. It is designed to support patients in finding their way through health and social care systems, and to help them overcome barriers to accessing services.
• Although evidence on the effectiveness of patient navigator programmes is limited, available studies indicate that they can contribute to improving access and continuity of care, seemingly offering a promising approach to better integration of care.
• There are a number of patient navigator initiatives in Europe, albeit with varying levels of implementation. Both these and the USA experience offer opportunities for countries to learn from each other.
• Existing patient navigator programmes typically focus on:

  • cancer care, where they help patients to move through the entire care continuum, from prevention to survivorship
  • transitional care, where they centre on helping (often older) patients to move between various settings (e.g. hospital and home) or sectors (e.g. health and social care)
  • care for vulnerable and disadvantaged populations, such as migrants, ethnic minorities, homeless or uninsured persons, where they can facilitate early detection of diseases and access to care.
• Patient navigators are an example of a skill-mix innovation, whereby new tasks or ways of working are implemented. Navigators come from different backgrounds: they can be qualified health professionals, such as nurses or social workers, or trained lay persons, often recruited from the community that is being targeted.
• Key roles of the patient navigators depend on their skills and experience. Typical tasks might include identifying individual needs and barriers to care, educating patients and communities, and linking patients with different care providers. Professional navigators may carry out more advanced (including clinical) tasks.
• Policy-makers interested in introducing patient navigator programmes should consider macro-, meso- and micro-level factors, all of which will influence implementation.
• Key issues to address include: developing appropriate educational standards; securing support from key stakeholders; putting in place long-term funding to ensure the sustainability of patient navigator programmes.

Contents

• Acknowledgements
• Acronyms
• Executive summary
• POLICY BRIEF
  • Introduction
  • Patient navigators: roles, tasks and examples of patient navigator programmes
  • How effective are patient navigator programmes?
  • What are the levers and barriers for the implementation of patient navigator programmes?
  • Conclusions
• REFERENCES
• Joint Policy Briefs

All rights reserved. The Regional Office for Europe of the World Health Organization welcomes requests for permission to reproduce or translate its publications, in part or in full.

The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the World Health Organization concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

The mention of specific companies or of certain manufacturers’ products does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by the World Health Organization in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned. Errors and omissions excepted, the names of proprietary products are distinguished by initial capital letters.

All reasonable precautions have been taken by the World Health Organization to verify the information contained in this publication. However, the published material is being distributed without warranty of any kind, either express or implied. The responsibility for the interpretation and use of the material lies with the reader. In no event shall the World Health Organization be liable for damages arising from its use. The views expressed by authors, editors, or expert groups do not necessarily represent the decisions or the stated policy of the World Health Organization.

Box

What is a Policy Brief?