Patient Navigator
Enabling patients to understand and manage their own health care leads to improved quality and efficiencies in their care. Ninety million people in the U.S. struggle with health literacy and it can be either an impediment or a means to improving health. The Patient Navigator is an effective solution to help patients and caregivers interpret and manage medical information in their own words.
About You
Section 1: You
First Name
Barbara
Last Name
Reid
Website URL
Organization
Childhood Leukemia Foundation
Country
United States, NJ, Ocean County
Section 2: Your Organization
Organization Name
Childhood Leukemia Foundation
Organization Website
Organization Phone
(732) 920-8860
Organization Address
807 Mantoloking Road, Suite 100, Brick, NJ 08723
Is your organization a
Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization
Organization Country
United States, NJ, Ocean County
Your idea
Name Your Project
Patient Navigator
Country and state your work focuses on
United States, XX
Describe Your Idea
Enabling patients to understand and manage their own health care leads to improved quality and efficiencies in their care. Ninety million people in the U.S. struggle with health literacy and it can be either an impediment or a means to improving health. The Patient Navigator is an effective solution to help patients and caregivers interpret and manage medical information in their own words.
Website URL
Innovation
What makes your idea unique?
In 2008, Childhood Leukemia Foundation(CLF) developed and patented a Hope Binder to help patients and parents understand and organize the overwhelming amount of information associated with a cancer diagnosis. To date, CLF has distributed over 10,000 Hope Binders to hospitals nationwide for pediatric oncology patients. As a result, CLF has received a tremendous amount of documentented positive feedback from parents, hospital social workers, and childlife specialists regarding the value of the Hope Binders. Information, and instructions written in the patient's/family's own words, have been instrumental in in improving the patient's (and family's) level of health literacy. Health literacy defined as the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services to make appropriate health decisions. A copy of The Joint Commission's SPEAK UP brochure (Help Prevent Errors in Your Care) is also included with every binder. CIGNA Foundation has also created a video, illustrating the beneficial impact of the Hope Binder, for one particular pediatric oncology family, and can be viewed on CLF's website www.clf4kids.org. As a result of CLF's successful Hope Binder program for pediatric cancer, CLF developed and patented the Patient Navigator to help patients suffering with other types of chronic illnesses. The Patient Navigator can be adapted for any diagnosis and is designed to include the patient's medical history, medications, physician information and instructions, hospitalizations, nutritional concerns, phone numbers and more...More specifically it was designed to empower the patient or caregiver with a greater sense of control over their circumstances by helping them to take a proactive role in their own healthcare.
Do you have a patent for this idea?
Yes
Impact
This Entry is about (Issues)
What impact have you had?
In 2006, Childhood Leukemia Foundation designed the Hope Binder, as an effective tool to help pediatric oncology patients and their families manage the overwhelming amount medical information associated with a cancer diagnosis. The Hope Binder enabled the patient to interpret and maintain medical instructions in their own words. It included a calendar, and twelve sections for the patient to track treatment protocols, medicines, doctors' appointments and phone numbers, blood counts, lab tests etc. The binder also included a section to maintain insurance summaries. Each binder was also fully equipped with a small hole punch, stapler, highlighter, paper clips and pens. Informational materials regarding cancer care and patient advocacy were provided by the National Cancer Institute and The Joint Commission. Childhood Leukemia Foundation has received many support letters from parents, hospital social workers and childlife specialists throughout the U.S., highlighting the positive impact of the Hope Binder on patients and their families. Over 10,000 Hope Binders have been distibuted to approximately 160 hospitals within the U.S. As a result of the documented success of the Hope Binder program, CLF developed and patented the Patient Navigator to assist patients suffering with other types of chronic ilnesses.
Problem
Chronic diseases are the leading cause of death and disability, as well as, the primary driver of health care costs in the U.S. today. To improve health nationwide it is essential to fully equip individuals and families to manage their own health. Low health literacy in patients and fragmented medical records add to the enormous challenge facing America's health care system. Presently, 90 million people in the U.S. struggle with health literacy, according to the American Medical Association. Health literacy is the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate decisions. Health literacy has a major impact on health today because it can either be an impediment or a means to improving health. Finally, the issue of patient control is paramount. It is critical for patients (or other authorized parties) to control the input and output of their own health record, and because it is written in their own words, it improves the patient and caregiver's understanding and level of health literacy.
Actions
Presently, Childhood Leukemia Foundation and Ronald McDonald House Charities have forged a collaborative effort to distribute the Patient Navigator to the patients living in their nationwide group homes. Ronald McDonald House provides a "home-away-from-home" for families of ill and injured children being treated at nearby hospitals. There are 169 Ronald McDonald Houses located in the U.S. Childhood Leukemia Foundation will provide each participating chapter with the Patient Navigators for patients suffering with various chronic illnesses. The Patient Navigator is a portable tool to allow the patient (and family) an opportunity to maintain a health record in their own words. The Ronald McDonald House Chapter liasion will distribute and explain how to effectively use the Patient Navigator.The end result will be to help patients better understand and facilitate their treatment process.
Results
The intention of this collaboration between Childhood Leukemia Foundation and Ronald McDonald House Charities is to duplicate the success of CLF's Hope Binder program for patients dealing with other various chronic illnesses. Ronald McDonald House Charities creates, finds and supports programs that directly improve the health and well being of children. Its programs are grassroots-driven to enable the Charity to offer help where children need it most - right in their own communities. The collaboration will establish an example of how the Patient Navigator can meet the needs of various chronically ill pediatric patients and their families. Our common goal is to provide a powerful tool that will empower and enhance the quality of life for all patients. An agreement between Childhood Leukemia Foundation(CLF) and Ronald McDonald House Charities was fully executed on July 17, 2010. The intended result is for CLF to produce and distribute the Patient Navigator throughout the network of 169 Ronald McDonald House Charity Chapters within the United states.
What will it take for your project to be successful over the next three years? Please address each year separately, if possible.
2011=Childhood Leukemia Foundation intends to distribute 338 Patient Navigators throughout the network of 169 Ronald McDonald House Chapters. A contact person will be established for each chapter to act as the liasion for receiving Patient Navigators. The liasion will determine the recipients and explain how to utilized the Patient Navigator to the patients and families.The cost of the materials for each Patient Navigator will be $25 and $5 for shipping. A total cost of $30 per Patient Navigator. Childhood Leukemia Foundation intends to initially ship 2 Patient Navigators to each of the 169 Ronald McDonald House Charity locations.The cost is approximately $10,000. CLF will request that that patients and caregivers provide documented feedback for each Patient Navigator.
2012= Childhood Leukemia Foundation will increase its Patient Navigator shipments to 4 Patient Navigators per 169 Ronald McDonald House Charity locations. The cost for year two will be approximately $20,000 and CLF together with Ronald McDonald House Charities will seek the additional funding from various grants to sustain the Patient Navigator program.
2013= CLF will increase shipments of the Patient Navigator to the 169 Ronald McDonald House Charity Chapters to 6 per location. Additionally, the liasion will be able to order 2 more Patient Navigators if necessary. The cost of the Patient Navigator wil be between $30,000-$40,000. CLF will publish and distribute, via e-mail,an online newsletter featuring thank you letters reflecting individual success stories of the Patient Navigator.
What would prevent your project from being a success?
The initial collaborative effort between Childhood Leukemia Foundation and Ronald McDonald House Charities will help to establish the success of the Patient Navigator. In the initial year, young pediatric patients and their families will demonstrate the value of utilizing a proven tool to help understand and navigate the treatment of various chronic illnesses. If the Patient Navigator collaborative effort does not receive the initial funding, there will be no established paradigm for seeking additional funds or expansion of the program.
How many people will your project serve annually?
101‐1000
What is the average monthly household income in your target community, in US Dollars?
Less than $50
Does your project seek to have an impact on public policy?
Yes
Sustainability
What stage is your project in?
Operating for 1‐5 years
In what country?
United States, XX
Is your initiative connected to an established organization?
Yes
If yes, provide organization name.
Childhood Leukemia Foundation
How long has this organization been operating?
More than 5 years
Does your organization have a Board of Directors or an Advisory Board?
Yes
Does your organization have any non-monetary partnerships with NGOs?
Yes
Does your organization have any non-monetary partnerships with businesses?
Yes
Does your organization have any non-monetary partnerships with government?
No
Please tell us more about how these partnerships are critical to the success of your innovation.
In 2007 & 2008, CIGNA Foundation awarded two $75,000 grants to Childhood Leukemia Foundation for its Hope Binder program. The grants enabled CLF to establish a Hope Binder delivery rotation to social workers throughout a network of 160 hospitals within the U.S. The hospital social workers offered the Hope Binders to newly diagnosed pediatric oncology patients. Additionally, each Hope Binder included a cancer fighting video game called Re-mission. Re-mission is a video game, designed by the non-profit organization Hope Lab, to help children learn how to fight their cancer. The collaborative effort was successful in helping pediatric oncology patients and their families understand a cancer diagnosis and successfully navigate their way through treatment. The success of this effort established the model for the Patient Navigator's success. The parnership with Ronald McDonald Charities will enable CLF to effectively distribute the Patient Navigator to the necessary chronically ill recipients.
What are the three most important actions needed to grow your initiative or organization?
Childhood Leukemia Foundation has already established two of the three most important actions needed to grow the Patient Navigator initiative. (1)CLF's Hope Binder program already has a documented record of success in helping young cancer patients and their caregivers to understand and navigate through a cancer diagnosis. CLF has received many letters of praise for CLF's Hope Binder program from patients, families, hospital social workers and childlife specialists in over 160 hospitals throughout the U.S. The Patient Navigator can accomplish the same task for young patients and their families dealing with other types of chronic illness. (2)Ronald McDonald House Charities and Childhood Leukemia Foundation have recently entered into an agreement to distribute the Patient Navigator to the patients and families utilizing the network of 169 Ronald McDonald House Chapters located across the U.S. (3) Childhood Leukemia Foundation needs the initial funding to help establish the viability of the Patient Navigator in helping young patients and their families to understand and navigate other various types of chronic illness.
The Story
What was the defining moment that led you to this innovation?
The Hope Binder is a concept that has enjoyed tremendous success in helping pediatric oncology patients and families to understand and navigate a cancer diagnosis. It is imperative that patients/caregivers understand medical terminology and instructions in order to make informed decisions regarding patient care. The Patient Navigator is designed to assist patients struggling with various other chronic diseases. I recognized that the tremendous success of CLF's Hope Binder program in helping pediatric oncology patients, could be duplicated with the Patient Navigator to help other chronically ill patients.
Tell us about the social innovator behind this idea.
The Hope Binder is a concept that was developed by a mother who was caring for her daughter stricken with a rare form of brain cancer. The child was being treated at a hospital located one hour from their home. It was additionally difficult to manage her treatment because the parents also needed to care for her younger brother while being so far from home. By maintaining all of the child's medical and insurance records in one place her parents were able to take turns escorting her back and forth to the hospital. The binder maintained appointments, contacts, phone numbers, test results and enabled her caregivers to be completely informed and organized throughout her treatment. Upon hearing this story, Barbara Reid decided to create the CLF Hope Binder program to assist other pediatric oncology patients and their families. The success of the CLF Hope Binder program is a direct result of one family's attempt to more effectively manage their child's cancer treatment. Fortunately, their daughter is alive and cancer free today at 15 years old.
How did you first hear about Changemakers?
Through another organization or company
If through another, please provide the name of the organization or company
Chronicle of Philanthropy
 | 139 weeks ago Barbara Reid said: Thank you for your interest in the Patient Navigator. Yes, we are considering translating the Patient Navigator into other languages. We ... about this Competition Entry. - read more > |
| 139 weeks ago Dianne Yamashiro-Omi said: Great project though I was assuming that Patient Navigator was an actual person. Any tool to help patients keep record of their doctor ... about this Competition Entry. - read more > |
| 147 weeks ago Barbara Reid updated this Competition Entry. |
| 148 weeks ago Barbara Reid submitted this idea. |
