A growing movement in cancer treatment is patient navigation. And DC-based nonprofit Smith Center for Healing and the Arts is leading the way in training patient navigators across the country. Integrative navigation director Carole O'Toole says as cancer survivor rates have increased, so has the need for skilled people who can guide patients through overwhelming and complicated cancer treatment. Recent accreditation standards now require cancer treatment centers to have patient navigation services in place by 2015.
The Smith Center has offered integrative cancer care navigation training since 2009 in DC and hopes toexpandit across the country.The concept started in the early '90s by Dr. Harold Freeman, a New York physician whorealized patients often fell through the cracks andwerenot getting diagnosedearly enough. Since then, patient navigation for cancer has helped patients gain more timely access to care andcomplete treatment. Patient navigation is also showing promise for diabetes, heart disease, and more, Carole adds.
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