Year after year, Survivornet goes to top cancer conferences. This year, there were incredible advances announced at the ASCO Annual Meeting, the largest in the world. As representatives of the patient community, we want to know if these are getting to the people who need them the most – namely, patients.
“It’s very easy to reflect on the science that happens at these conferences and see how quickly science is moving every quarter, every conference, and delivering hope for patients,” Mohit Manrao, Senior Vice President and Head of U.S. Oncology Business Unit at AstraZeneca, one of the leading pharmaceutical companies, told SurvivorNet.
Read More“There are disparities of care that exist. There’s education needs that exist. There’s infrastructure challenges, diagnostic challenges that you need to solve for,” Manrao said.
“I feel really privileged and proud with my team working on those to really ensure that the science we see here, the transformation we see here … can actually really transform into patients receiving those treatments,” Manrao added.
Making sure patients have equal access to the latest treatment options and research starts with giving them the tools they need to navigate a complicated system.
Patient navigators, for example, can help with that.
These aides can be nurses or laypeople, and they can be critical resources for patients during what can already be a stressful time. While they may carry out slightly different duties depending on the hospital, they largely help patients understand the various steps of their care and overcome any challenges that may prevent them from getting the treatment they need.
Those barriers could include lack of transportation, lack of child care, speaking a different language, mistrust of the system, lack of information, and feelings of fear or anxiety.
To help patients overcome these barriers, navigators may:
- Attend appointments with patients
- Gather information on their cancer or care options
- Provide an assessment for next steps of care
- Assist with housing, transportation or immigration needs
- Help with financial issues, like employment or bill payment
- Help understand your insurance needs
- Provide direction on legal issues
Meanwhile, doctors should be sure to stay up-to-date on the latest research and treatment options – such as those presented at the ASCO Annual Meeting – so they can educate their patients appropriately and offer them the best possible care that makes sense for them.
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