Completion of Client Navigation Goals Following Participation in a Student-Led Patient Navigator Program

Ashna Shah; Deepa Ravindra; Drupad Annapureddy; Shyamal Waghwala; Shelley  Speed; Nora Gimpel

doi:10.59586/jsrc.v12i1.631

Ashna Shah The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School
Deepa Ravindra The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School
Drupad Annapureddy, MD The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School
Shyamal Waghwala The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School
Shelly Speed, MSN University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Nora Gimpel, MD University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

DOI: https://doi.org/10.59586/jsrc.v12i1.631

Keywords: ill-housed person, delivery of health care, medical education

Abstract

Background: Patient navigation is a service that helps underserved populations maneuver through complex healthcare systems. The Patient Navigator Program (PNP) was developed to provide services for persons experiencing homelessness (PEH) utilizing medical students trained as patient navigators. This study investigates client navigation goal completion and considers if patient navigators are inadequately trained.

Methods: With navigator assistance, clients completed a survey on goal outcomes following completion of their navigation cycles. Goal completion status and category goal type were extracted from all clients completing the survey to determine frequency of goal completion. Comparison of healthcare vs. non-healthcare goal completion was conducted using a chi-squared analysis.

Results: 55 of 81 (67.9%) total client goals were successfully completed, including 24 of 34 (70.6%) healthcare goals and 31 of 47 (66.0%) non-healthcare goals. There was no statistical difference between frequency of healthcare and non-healthcare goal completion (p=0.660). The average number of goals created per client were 2.13 healthcare, 2.94 non-healthcare, and 5.06 overall. The average number of goals completed per client were 1.5 healthcare, 1.94 non-healthcare, and 3.44 overall.

Conclusions: Our study revealed high rates of client goal completion for clients completing their navigation cycles. Multiple goals completed per client and similar frequency of healthcare and non-healthcare goal completion suggest that PNP’s training elective adequately prepares students to provide healthcare navigation.