Patient Navigation Strategies for Colorectal Cancer Screening

Patient navigation strategies enlist trained individuals—often drawn from the communities they serve—to guide patients through the complexities of colorectal cancer screening. These navigators assess and address individual barriers such as limited health literacy, logistical challenges, language differences and cultural misconceptions. By offering tailored education, appointment coordination, reminder contacts and emotional support, navigation programmes aim to increase uptake of stool-based tests and colonoscopy, particularly among underserved and marginalised populations. Over the past decade, evidence has grown that navigation can boost screening completion by addressing contextual influences at the individual, provider and system levels. Successful models combine patient-centred outreach with provider engagement, robust data-tracking and iterative feedback to refine processes. Globally, navigation strategies have been adapted to diverse health systems and demographic groups, demonstrating their flexibility and potential for narrowing disparities in early detection of colorectal neoplasia. Integration with decision aids, multilevel interventions and digital tracking tools is fostering both scalability and fidelity to core navigation protocols.

Research from Nature Portfolio

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Patient Navigation Strategies for Colorectal Cancer Screening publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in patient navigation strategies for colorectal cancer screening across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Patient navigation: A barrier-focused intervention in which trained personnel guide individuals through healthcare processes to improve access and adherence to screening or treatment.

Federally Qualified Health Centre (FQHC): A community-based clinic that receives government funding to provide primary care services in underserved areas.

RE-AIM framework: An evaluation model assessing Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation and Maintenance of health interventions.

Intervention fidelity: The degree to which a programme is delivered as intended, often monitored through adherence to protocols and training standards.

Screening adherence: The extent to which individuals complete recommended preventive tests within designated timeframes.

References

1. Mi-CARE: Comparing Three Evidence-Based Interventions to Promote Colorectal Cancer Screening among Ethnic Minorities within Three Different Clinical Contexts. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2023).
2. Assessing the implementation of a patient navigation intervention for colonoscopy screening. BMC Health Services Research (2019).
3. Components and effectiveness of patient navigation programmes to increase participation to breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screening: A systematic review. Cancer Medicine (2023).