Algorithms designed to predict and better distribute work among cancer patient navigators
Peoriadisease. , June 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Diagnosing cancer can be very difficult. Nurse Navigators provide much-needed services and support to prevent patients from being overwhelmed by uncertainty, appointments, diagnoses, treatments, jobs, financial concerns, and even the psychological impact of serious diagnoses. To do. Cancer Patient Navigators provide education, advocacy, and support while facilitating the cancer care process.
However, the cancer patient navigator’s job can be difficult. The complexity of healthcare, the severity of cancer diagnoses, and the growing number of cancer patients covered by the healthcare system can create a great deal of stress for everyone involved, including cancer patient navigators. This can lead to burnout and threaten the ability to recruit and retain personnel to perform this critical service to cancer patients. OSF HealthCare has his 15 cancer patient navigators at its largest hospital, St. Francis Medical Center. Peoria, Illinois. Each navigator specializes in serving a specific type of cancer patient.
At any given time, one navigator in one specialty may have far more work than another navigator in the same specialty. However, the OSF Oncology Navigator seeks to maintain a consistent patient relationship throughout the course of care and does not typically transfer care to another Navigator when the workload is high. Given these constraints, a team led by OSF’s Senior Fellow for Innovation: Jonathan HandlerThe MD sought to develop a solution to better balance the workload among cancer patient navigators within the cancer specialty.
The team included researchers from OSF Healthcare and its OSF Innovation group. University of Illinois Peoria College of Medicine University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaignand the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.The study was sponsored by OSF HealthCare and University of Illinois Faculty of Medicine Peoriaand the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
The team developed a model to predict next week’s work for each navigator’s existing patients and for new patients who need navigation. The second model then distributes new patients to navigators within a specialty to minimize inter-navigator differences in next week’s workload. The model makes predictions using data already in the patient’s electronic medical record, such as demographics, cancer type, and previous medical use.
“Our oncology nurse navigators are very dedicated and their workload can be overwhelming. They never want their patients to be taken lightly. They neglect themselves, work extra hours, and sacrifice their own health to help their patients. We hope our system can even out these workloads and improve your work-life balance. “
– Doctor Jonathan HandlerOSF Healthcare Senior Fellow, Innovation
As part of this study, predictor-based and random distributions were compared to assess the differences in workload between navigators in the same cancer specialty. Random comparisons were used because the OSF Cancer Patient Navigator distributes patients almost randomly. Except in special cases, patients are assigned to a relevant specialist navigator on a rotating basis. This allocation typically does not take into account anticipated patient needs, navigator experience, or existing workload. In this retrospective simulation study, predictive-informed models achieved significantly better workload fairness than random distribution. The study was published in his JCO® Clinical Cancer Informatics, a peer-reviewed scientific journal.
“At OSF HealthCare, we leverage innovation to improve efficacy, efficiency and access for patients who want clinical excellence, convenience, support and a positive patient experience,” Dr. Handler said. I will explain. “We also take an innovative approach to preserving our greatest asset, our Mission Partners (employees), and ensuring that OSF HealthCare remains a great and fulfilling place to work.”
To integrate smart algorithms to improve cancer patient navigation, OSF Innovation will leverage OSF Community Connect, a platform that automates workflows to help coordinate care and resources with OSF Healthcare.
Tennille OderwaldMSN, RN, co-author of the paper and manager of oncology services at OSF St. Francis, said the next step would be to pilot the tool. With the OSF Cancer Institute set to open next year and with more people seeking treatment through OSF at its world-class facility, it is important to be able to help support navigators and guide patients through appointments and treatments. Orderwald says.
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OSF Healthcare is an integrated health care system owned and operated by the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis, headquartered in Peoria, Illinois. OSF HealthCare has 15 hospitals, 10 of which are acute care and 5 critical access, with a total of 2,084 licensed beds. Illinois and Michigan. OSF employs approximately 24,000 mission partners across his 150+ locations. He has two nursing colleges. It operates OSF Home Care Services, an extensive network of home health care and hospice services. Owns Pointcore, Inc., which consists of healthcare-related businesses. OSF HealthCare Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the organization. OSF Ventures provides investment capital to promising healthcare innovation startups. Founded in 2020 to improve the patient experience, OSF OnCall, a digital healthcare operations arm, uses digital tools for 24/7 communication, on-demand care, and remote patient monitoring, with the nation’s largest We offer a home hospital program. Illinois. OSF HealthCare is recognized by Fortune as one of the nation’s most innovative companies. For more information, visit osfhealthcare.org.
OSF innovation was founded in 2016 as a multidisciplinary innovation center focused on internal and external innovation to solve healthcare’s biggest challenges. For more information, visit osfinnovation.org.
contact: Colleen Reynolds| Media Relations Coordinator – OSF HealthCare | (309) 825-7255
Source OSF Healthcare
