Patient Navigation: The Path Towards Reduced Cancer Inequalities in Europe?
A Stakeholder Forum for the EU NAVIGATE Project
Background:
Cancer inequalities are a long-standing issue within health systems in Europe. Still today, people’s postcodes or background often impact their chances for a healthy life and best outcomes from health systems after a cancer diagnosis.
Whilst advances in cancer prevention, treatment and multidisciplinary care are reducing the cancer burden in Europe, they also go hand-in-hand with complex healthcare systems, in which vulnerable or remote groups may face difficulties to timely access the health and social care services they need. In particular, more and more patients requiring high-quality survivorship, supportive, palliative, and end-of-life care, may be especially exposed to such difficulties. Many of these patients and their caregivers find themselves overwhelmed, overburdened, in need for information and support.
Patient navigation interventions, where dedicated people get specially trained to engage with patients on an individual basis and empower them to navigate through the healthcare systems, hold promises to overcome these barriers, whilst providing companionship and support.
The project:
EU Navigate is a pan-European research project funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe Programme, running from 2022 to 2027. The goal is to develop and implement NavCare-EU, an innovative patient navigation tool to: improve the quality of life and well-being of cancer patients and their families; foster empowerment; and promote timely and equitable access to health and social care services. The project focuses on older cancer patients and their family caregivers for its clinical study, and it will develop recommendations on patient navigation in the EU and beyond.
Why a Stakeholder Forum?
Unlike Canada and the United States, patient navigation is not yet a standard European practice. The EU Navigate project represents a one-of-a-kind opportunity to promote patient navigation on a broader, more political scale throughout the entire cancer pathway – from cancer prevention to supportive, palliative and end-of-life care.
Participating experts and stakeholders will have the chance to discuss ongoing project activities and work together on a common policy agenda for patient navigation in cancer.
A detailed report will be issued following the Forum.
Programme
15:00 – 15:10 Welcome and Introduction
Norbert Couespel, Senior Coordinator, Policy Research & EU Projects, European Cancer Organisation (ECO)
15:10 – 15:20 What is patient navigation? The Nav-CARE success story in Canada
Wendy Duggleby, Professor Emeritae, University of Alberta & Adjunct Professor, University of British Columbia
15:20 – 15:30 Patient navigation in palliative care in Europe – the EU NAVIGATE project
Prof. Dr. Lieve Van den Block, Professor of Aging and Palliative Care, VUB-UGhent End-of-Life Care Research Group, VUB & coordinator of the EU NAVIGATE
15:30 – 16:15 Break-out room discussion
1. The case for navigation – how it can support cancer patients and caregivers
Moderator: Nils Petter Sjøholt, Vice-Chairman, Europa Uomo
2. The path towards patient-centred care – how can patient navigation integrate within multidisciplinary cancer care to the benefit of patients
Moderator: Carla Reigada, Project Officer, EAPC
3. Driving policy change – how to implement patient navigation in health systems
Moderator: Marion L’Hôte, Policy Officer, ECO
16:15 – 16:30 Common ground on discussion points from break-out rooms
16:30 – 16:55 Building synergies with allied initiatives – Panel discussion
• The international perspective – Patient navigation as part of the US Cancer Moonshot
Janette Merrill, Senior Director, American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)
Dr. Catharine Young, Assistant Director, Cancer Moonshot Engagement and Policy, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy
• Patient navigation for cancer prevention in vulnerable groups – the CancerLESS experience and CO-CAPTAIN experiences
Igor Grabovac, Specialist Physician in Public Health, Medical University of Vienna
• Patient navigation for optimal access to cancer treatment and information – the My Cancer Navigator service
Gabry Kuijten, MD, Director of Patient Information, Anticancer Fund
16:55 – 17:00 Conclusions and next steps
Norbert Couespel, Senior Coordinator, Policy Research & EU Projects, ECO
Speakers
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Prof. dr. Lieve Van den Block Professor of Aging and Palliative Care, VUB-UGhent End-of-Life Care Research Group, VUB, Brussels, and coordinator of EU NAVIGATE
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Wendy Duggleby Professor Emeritae, University of Alberta & Adjunct Professor, University of British Columbia
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Dr. Catharine Young Assistant Director, Cancer Moonshot Engagement and Policy, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy
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Janette Merrill Senior Director, American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)
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Gabry Kuijten Director of Patient Information, Anticancer Fund
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Igor Grabovac Specialist Physician in Public Health, Medical University of Vienna
Speakers
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Prof. dr. Lieve Van den Block Professor of Aging and Palliative Care, VUB-UGhent End-of-Life Care Research Group, VUB, Brussels, and coordinator of EU NAVIGATE
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Wendy Duggleby Professor Emeritae, University of Alberta & Adjunct Professor, University of British Columbia
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Dr. Catharine Young Assistant Director, Cancer Moonshot Engagement and Policy, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy
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Janette Merrill Senior Director, American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)
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Gabry Kuijten Director of Patient Information, Anticancer Fund
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Igor Grabovac Specialist Physician in Public Health, Medical University of Vienna
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Prof. dr. Lieve Van den Block Professor of Aging and Palliative Care, VUB-UGhent End-of-Life Care Research Group, VUB, Brussels, and coordinator of EU NAVIGATE Read Bio
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Wendy Duggleby Professor Emeritae, University of Alberta & Adjunct Professor, University of British Columbia Read Bio
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Dr. Catharine Young Assistant Director, Cancer Moonshot Engagement and Policy, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Read Bio
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Nils P. Sjøholt Vice Chairman, Europa UOMO
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Norbert Couespel SENIOR COORDINATOR, POLICY RESEARCH & EU PROJECTS, European Cancer Organisation
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Marion L'Hôte Policy Officer, European Cancer Organisation
Speakers
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Prof. dr. Lieve Van den Block Professor of Aging and Palliative Care, VUB-UGhent End-of-Life Care Research Group, VUB, Brussels, and coordinator of EU NAVIGATE
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Wendy Duggleby Professor Emeritae, University of Alberta & Adjunct Professor, University of British Columbia
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Dr. Catharine Young Assistant Director, Cancer Moonshot Engagement and Policy, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy
-
Janette Merrill Senior Director, American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)
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Gabry Kuijten Director of Patient Information, Anticancer Fund
-
Igor Grabovac Specialist Physician in Public Health, Medical University of Vienna
Speakers
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Prof. dr. Lieve Van den Block Professor of Aging and Palliative Care, VUB-UGhent End-of-Life Care Research Group, VUB, Brussels, and coordinator of EU NAVIGATE
-
Wendy Duggleby Professor Emeritae, University of Alberta & Adjunct Professor, University of British Columbia
-
Dr. Catharine Young Assistant Director, Cancer Moonshot Engagement and Policy, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy
-
Janette Merrill Senior Director, American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)
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Gabry Kuijten Director of Patient Information, Anticancer Fund
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Igor Grabovac Specialist Physician in Public Health, Medical University of Vienna
