CRANBURY, NJ, March 15, 2021 – On February 25, 2021, the Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators (AONN+) and the Alliance to Advance Patient-Centered Cancer Care hosted a webinar entitled “Evaluating the Sustainability of Oncology Navigation with the Navigation Metrics Toolkit.” The webinar was presented by 3 navigation experts: Monica Dean, HON-OPN-CG, Director of Patient Navigation Program Development at AONN+; Tricia Strusowski, RN, MS, Chair, AONN+ Metrics Committee; and Danelle Johnston, MSN, RN, OCN, HON-ONN-CG, Senior Vice President of Mission Delivery at Cancer Support Community.
The leaders presented an in-depth discussion on both the implementation and value of the AONN+ Navigation Metrics Toolkit. This toolkit was created by AONN+ in collaboration with The American Cancer Society. The toolkit provides navigators guidance on how to select, implement, report, and utilize navigation metrics to help improve patient care and foster navigation program development and growth. The webinar also demonstrated that active participation in data collection, analytics, and reporting outcomes are not added responsibilities for oncology navigators, but integrated into the role.
The webinar recording is now available to view for anyone who might be looking to support patient navigation programs in a clinical setting.
About the Navigation Metrics Toolkit (www.aonnonline.org/navigation-metrics)
Oncology navigators have been assisting patients with cancer for decades, but there is still lack of consensus as to how oncology navigation programs can measure and demonstrate programmatic value. In response to this, the Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators (AONN+), in collaboration with the American Cancer Society, developed a toolkit to assist cancer programs in understanding and supporting the integration of standardized metrics into their normal business process. In 2017, AONN+ identified 35 evidence-based navigation metrics that were relevant to cancer care. The work to identify these 35 metrics served as the launching pad for continued efforts to study navigation metrics and implementation activities. In 2018, AONN+, the American Cancer Society, and Chartis Oncology Solutions conducted a national research multisite study to assess the extent to which navigation programs could implement a set of 10 of these 35 metrics.
The Navigation Metrics Toolkit reflects the current recommendations from AONN+, recommendations from the pilot study, as well as best practices gleaned from navigators and navigation experts across the nation. The toolkit provides navigators with guidance on how to select, implement, report, and utilize navigation metrics as they engage in quality/performance improvement and strategic decision-making.
About the Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators® (www.aonnonline.org)
The Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators, Inc. (AONN+) is the largest national specialty organization dedicated to improving patient care and quality of life by defining, enhancing, and promoting the role of oncology nurse and patient navigators. The organization, which has nearly 8,900 members, was founded in 2009 to provide a network for all professionals involved and interested in patient navigation and survivorship care services in order to better manage the complexities of the cancer treatment process.
The Journal of Oncology Navigation & Survivorship® (www.jons-online.com) is the official publication of AONN+. JONS seeks to strengthen the role of nurse and patient navigators in cancer care by serving as a platform for these professionals to disseminate original research findings, exchange best practices, and find support for their growing community.
CONQUER: the patient voice™ magazine (www.conquer-magazine.com) is the Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators (AONN+) premier forum for patients with cancer. CONQUER features articles written by and for patients with cancer, survivors, nurse navigators, and other oncology team members. This magazine addresses the issues that patients, their family members, and caregivers face every day in an easy-to-read format. Issues include interviews with patients with cancer, information on access to care, and articles on lifestyle topics such as nutrition, stress management, personal finance, and legal and employer issues. CONQUER also features patient stories that are nominated for the AONN+ Hero of Hope™ award, which is presented at the AONN+ Annual Conference. All stories are compiled in a special issue of CONQUER at the end of the year.
About The American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society is a global grassroots force of 1.5 million volunteers dedicated to saving lives, celebrating lives, and leading the fight for a world without cancer. From breakthrough research, to free lodging near treatment, a 24/7/365 live helpline, free rides to treatment, and convening powerful activists to create awareness and impact, the Society is the only organization attacking cancer from every angle. For more information, go to www.cancer.org.
Gwen Coverdale, 267-884-6328
