Patient navigation for lung cancer: an essential component of care

This report explores why patient navigation is vital to high-quality lung cancer care.

A patient navigator is a someone who guides people with a particular condition through the health system – helping to address unmet needs, mitigate barriers to timely diagnosis and treatment, and promote holistic, person-centred care.

As the leading cause of cancer-related deaths, lung cancer poses a variety of challenges to individuals and health systems. Patient navigation is key to alleviating these issues, and delivering the comprehensive and coordinated healthcare services that are urgently needed. Currently, however, the transformative potential of patient navigation has yet to be fully realised for lung cancer.

The report was informed by a comprehensive review of the literature, and draws insights from Network members and 14 expert interviewees as well as sharing the personal experiences of 2 patient navigators.

It is our hope that this report and its recommendations support health system leaders and decision-makers to deliver best-practice care of people with lung cancer through implementing and optimising patient navigation programmes.