“Expert Patient Navigation”
Featuring: Deb Christensen, MSN, APRN
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Deb Christensen, MSN, APRN
“Expert Patient Navigation” (Deb Christensen, MSN, APRN) [#99] Brad Power May 29, 2024 “The thing that I do in my work that makes it so meaningful is having conversations with people.” – Deb Christensen, MSN, APRN “The expertise that our PhDs hold are along the lines of cell signaling pathways and tumorigenesis, to biomarker investigation and discovery.
They cover the gamut of understanding the biology at the molecular levels. That is important, and we've seen some really interesting input from them.
” – Rebecca Driscoll Meeting Summary From their initial diagnosis, cancer patients and their caregivers are confronted with many challenges as they attempt to navigate the healthcare system, understand their disease, and deal with the emotional and social aspects of a life-threatening diagnosis: ●Emotional stress: Coming to grips with a life-threatening diagnosis while usually having no background in the disease, testing or treatment options, or the healthcare system.
●Complex cancer landscape : With a 94% growth in the number of cancer treatments available over the last five years, it is becoming more difficult for both patients and providers to stay up-to-date on rapidly evolving guidelines. The continuous approval of new tests and therapies means that what you know becomes obsolete every six months or so.
●Information overload : Patients and families have unprecedented access to information (97% of patients use Google), yet are overwhelmed due to the lack of information curation and medical education to interpret complex molecular biology.
●Limited time with doctors : Cancer patients have on average only 23 minutes with their oncologist, and healthcare providers are seeing an increased number of cancer patients. Tools to help enable shared-decision making are essential in making that limited time as efficient as possible.
Deb Christensen, MSN, APRN, is uniquely qualified to discuss how patients and caregivers navigate through the medical system and their cancer care journey. She has 20+ years of experience in nursing and has multiple certifications, including as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse and Adult Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist with an oncology specialty.
She was previously the Director of Patient Services for Cancer Commons and former System Lead for Oncology Navigation and Survivorship for a large healthcare system. She is regularly published by and a Contributing Editor for the Oncology Nursing Society’s publication, VOICE, and other nursing publications.
Deb has committed the remainder of her working years to helping cancer patients navigate to the best possible care. Starting Cancer Help Desk is her “dream job” and every day is committed to helping patients and caregivers who can benefit from her experience as an oncology advanced practice nurse. Cancer Help Desk is a nonprofit dedicated to empowering individuals facing cancer.
Help Desk is her “dream job” and every day is committed to helping patients and caregivers who can benefit from her experience as an oncology advanced practice nurse. Cancer Help Desk is a nonprofit dedicated to empowering individuals facing cancer. Their services range from guiding patients
“Expert Patient Navigation” (Deb Christensen, MSN, APRN) [#99] to optimal resources, tests, and treatments to connecting them with expert oncology nurses and PhD scientists for personalized care plans. Deb was joined by Rebecca Driscoll, Co-founder and CEO at Cancer Help Desk.
What are the challenges that cancer patients and caregivers face in navigating their care that nurse navigators can help with?
Testing ●Identify what tests to get, when to get testing done, and get access Treatment ●Understand cancer treatment options ●Navigate clinical trials (identify, prioritize, get information, access) ●Assess molecular pathways and identify treatable targets ●Access treatments, especially off-label or non-standard, e.g.
, through expanded access, compassionate use, patient assistance ●Find a provider willing to prescribe off-label Administration ●Schedule appointments ●Gather and review medical records ●Shop for service providers (identify, recommend) ●Fill out applications and paperwork ●Get insurance reimbursement Coaching ●Prepare for doctor conversations ●Provide emotional support, listen, validate How can scientists help patients and caregivers navigate cancer care?
●Provide an unbiased view of your case and offer personalized treatment suggestions, focusing on the biology of your cancer ●Analyze medical records and pathology reports What lessons can you take from these navigation services to apply to your care?
Review these services to see which ones could be provided by a navigation service versus ones you could do yourself or get through other sources, such as your medical team or a network of fellow patients The information and opinions expressed on this website or platform, or during discussions and presentations (both verbal and written) are not intended as health care recommendations or medical advice by Cancer Patient Lab, its principals, presenters, participants, or representatives for any medical treatment, product, or course of action.
“Expert Patient Navigation” (Deb Christensen, MSN, APRN) [#99] specific situation before pursuing any health care program, treatment, product or other course of action that might affect your health.
“Expert Patient Navigation” (Deb Christensen, MSN, APRN) [#99] Meeting Notes KEYWORDS patient, cancer, work, talk, clinical trials, oncology nurses, oncology, navigation, rebecca, scientists, questions, cancer patient, services, nonprofit, doctor, deb, care, wanted, information, estrogen SPEAKERS Deb Christensen (53%) , Paul van Camp (16%) , Jeffrey Dwyer (12%) , Brad Power (9%), Rebecca Driscoll (7%) , Brian McCloskey (2%) SUMMARY
y nurses, oncology, navigation, rebecca, scientists, questions, cancer patient, services, nonprofit, doctor, deb, care, wanted, information, estrogen SPEAKERS Deb Christensen (53%) , Paul van Camp (16%) , Jeffrey Dwyer (12%) , Brad Power (9%), Rebecca Driscoll (7%) , Brian McCloskey (2%) SUMMARY The conversation centered around the importance of empathy, communication, and collaboration in cancer care.
Speakers emphasized the need for personalized support and tailored treatment options based on biomarker testing. They also discussed the challenges of accessing alternative treatments, particularly for those with limited financial means, and the importance of improved communication between patients and healthcare providers.
The speakers highlighted the value of patient advocacy in navigating the complex healthcare system and the need for a comprehensive approach that includes oncology nurses, PhD scientists, and companies. OUTLINE Introductions of Deb Christensen, Rebecca Driscoll, and Cancer Help Desk. ●Cancer Help Desk founders Deb Christensen and Rebecca Driscoll share insights on navigating cancer care.
●Deb Christensen shares her passion for nursing and oncology and her experience as a nurse navigator for breast cancer patients, then expanded to all cancers. ●She co-founded nonprofit Cancer HelpDesk to focus on patients' needs now. They use oncology nurses and PhD scientists to help cancer patients navigate clinical trials and biomarker testing.
●Oncology nurse navigators help patients understand cancer treatment options and navigate clinical trials. ●Scientists provide an unbiased view of each cancer case and offer personalized treatment suggestions. Cancer navigation services, coaching, and resources for patients and families. ●Deb Christensen formed an oncology nurse advisory board to provide guidance on programs and campaigns.
●She coaches family members on how to approach doctor conversations and identify resources for expanded access. ●She discussed a young girl with brain cancer who was being treated at a top institution, but the mother was in conflict with them about the treatment.
“Expert Patient Navigation” (Deb Christensen, MSN, APRN) [#99] standard treatment, but the institution wanted to use a biosimilar that had never been trialed in pediatric patients. Cancer patient assistance programs and clinical trial navigation. ●Deb Christensen advocates for involving multiple organizations in patient assistance programs.
●Cancer Help Desk offers personalized support for cancer patients, including scheduling appointments and navigating clinical trials. ●Rebecca Driscoll shares her experience navigating cancer treatment, including the value of PhD scientists in understanding cancer biology. Cancer treatment options and the role of scientists in providing unbiased information.
ares her experience navigating cancer treatment, including the value of PhD scientists in understanding cancer biology. Cancer treatment options and the role of scientists in providing unbiased information. ●Paul Van Camp advocates for universal support for cancer patients, citing limitations in standard of care treatment.
●He expresses skepticism towards the focus of cancer research organizations on integrating scientific knowledge into patient care. ●Deb Christensen discusses the use of biosimilars in cancer treatment, highlighting the importance of scientific information in informing decisions.
●She emphasizes the challenges of navigating multiple opinions and perspectives in cancer care, with science providing a helpful framework for decision-making. Patient advocacy, fee structure, and business model for cancer support services. ●Nonprofit organizations arm patients with information to advocate for themselves in medical settings.
●Cancer Helpdesk offers personalized navigation services for patients and organizations. Cancer support services for patients and caregivers. ●Rebecca Driscoll emphasizes the organization's goal of serving patients at no cost, while also working with companies to provide additional value.
●The organization aims to help patients navigate complexities around genetic tests, providing logical steps and addressing physician concerns. ●Patients and caregivers at any stage can benefit from Cancer Help Desk support. Challenges in finding off-label cancer treatment options. ●Jeffrey Dwyer shares his experience with the challenges of navigating standard of care.
●He seeks off-label medication from a medical oncologist and faces challenges due to institutional constraints. ●He expresses frustration with navigating medical billing and insurance coverage for off- label treatments. ●He needs to advocate for himself to seek alternative sources for hormone therapy, such as naturopath or supportive female networks.
●Patients may need to be prepared to collect and present research to their doctors to support their treatment decisions.
“Expert Patient Navigation” (Deb Christensen, MSN, APRN) [#99] ●Paul Van Camp mentions finding physicians willing to prescribe off-label drugs, and Glenn Sabin is working on compiling a list of such people. ●Brian McCloskey asks how involved RxSpark gets in the process of accessing biosimilar drugs, and Paul mentions that they identify options for patients and work through the office.
●Rebecca Driscoll shared her experience navigating the complex healthcare system for a patient with leukemia. ●She emphasized the importance of finding the right provider who is willing to work hand in hand and advocate for the patient.
“Expert Patient Navigation” (Deb Christensen, MSN, APRN) [#99] TRANSCRIPT Brad Power This is another weekly webinar of the Cancer Patient Lab. We're happy to have Deb Christensen from Cancer Help Desk to share her perspective on
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