List date(s) this work was published or aired.
March, 10, 2012; April 25, 2012; May 10, 2012; Aug. 10, 2012
Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
When I learned that the American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer would be mandating that institutions have a patient navigation process in place by 2015 for accreditation, I decided to see if the cancer community would be prepared to meet the demand with standardized guidelines and programs. The series was originally three parts–an indepth interview with the surgeon who created the concept of patient navigation and its first program; an analysis of what was needed to fulfill the mandate in a meaningful way including differentiating the patient navigation process from needing a patient navigator; a review of what programs were already in place and how they differered. Shortly after the series appeared i was contacted by a reader who said that legal services were another service that should be included and that resulted in a fourth part.
Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
The series ultimately ran to four parts and I spent considerable time on the Internet and making calls to learn what was already in place, what were some of the key issues, and who were the best people to interview.
Explain types of human sources used.
I contacted numerous individuals representing professional societies, institutions, organizations, and other cancer-related groups for an overview of what was and what wasn’t being done.
Results:
The series helped raise awareness of the need to put appropriate standardized guidelines and training programs together and for various organizations and individuals to coordinate efforts. It also stressed the importance of accountability and making sure that each individual program met the needs of its respective underserved populations.
Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
As noted above the head of LegalHealth in New York contacted me about the importance of legal services in the patient navigation process and that resulted in a fourth article that was ultimately used by the organization to make more lawyers around the country aware of the need to be involved in pro bono law services. Other parts of the series were used for background information about patient navigaation.
Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
This series began when i realized that the nation’s cancer centers were being mandated to develop programs to help the underserved, and there was very little coordinated effort to meet that need. It is important to ask questions about new trends or programs to ensure they will be implemented in an appropriate, responsible manner.