Purpose <p>Navigation is an evidence-based model of cancer care designed to address barriers to quality care. Minimal work has been done to explore peer navigation models to improve patients’ supportive care needs, including conceptually grounded training in how patients should self-advocate. This pilot study aimed to assess the feasibility and acceptability of training peer navigators to support underserved patients’ ability to self-advocate, especially patients with advanced cancer.</p> Methods <p>We designed training based on peer navigation and patient self-advocacy frameworks. We recruited adults with experience as a cancer patient interested in becoming a peer navigator for people with cancer through an ongoing clinical trial and a public research registry. Eligible participants who consented to this pilot trial completed navigation and patient self-advocacy training. We calculated feasibility metrics (e.g., approach-to-consent rates, consent-to-complete rates, and reasons for attrition) and conducted one-on-one interviews and self-reported measures to assess acceptability.</p> Results <p>Between November 2024 and January 2025, we approached 13 individuals and 9 (69.2%) consented to participate in the training. One participant withdrew prior to receiving training due to hospice enrollment. The remaining 8 (88.9%) consented participants completed the self-advocacy training, and 6 (66.7%) completed the navigation training with noncompleters citing time constraints and technical difficulties. Participants expressed feeling confident in being able to provide peer navigation and gave feedback on ways to improve the training.</p> Conclusions <p>Individuals with cancer who are from disadvantaged backgrounds and living with advanced cancer can be trained to provide peer navigation and self-advocacy support to other patients with cancer.</p>

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Self-advocacy training within a peer navigation model in advanced cancer: a pilot study

  • Teresa Hagan Thomas,
  • Gauri Bhatia,
  • Woonkyung Kim,
  • Linda Christopher

摘要

Purpose

Navigation is an evidence-based model of cancer care designed to address barriers to quality care. Minimal work has been done to explore peer navigation models to improve patients’ supportive care needs, including conceptually grounded training in how patients should self-advocate. This pilot study aimed to assess the feasibility and acceptability of training peer navigators to support underserved patients’ ability to self-advocate, especially patients with advanced cancer.

Methods

We designed training based on peer navigation and patient self-advocacy frameworks. We recruited adults with experience as a cancer patient interested in becoming a peer navigator for people with cancer through an ongoing clinical trial and a public research registry. Eligible participants who consented to this pilot trial completed navigation and patient self-advocacy training. We calculated feasibility metrics (e.g., approach-to-consent rates, consent-to-complete rates, and reasons for attrition) and conducted one-on-one interviews and self-reported measures to assess acceptability.

Results

Between November 2024 and January 2025, we approached 13 individuals and 9 (69.2%) consented to participate in the training. One participant withdrew prior to receiving training due to hospice enrollment. The remaining 8 (88.9%) consented participants completed the self-advocacy training, and 6 (66.7%) completed the navigation training with noncompleters citing time constraints and technical difficulties. Participants expressed feeling confident in being able to provide peer navigation and gave feedback on ways to improve the training.

Conclusions

Individuals with cancer who are from disadvantaged backgrounds and living with advanced cancer can be trained to provide peer navigation and self-advocacy support to other patients with cancer.