Frontiers in Public Health (Feb 2021)
A Plan-Do-Study-Act Approach to the Development, Implementation and Evaluation of a Patient Navigation Program to Reduce Breast Cancer Screening Disparities in Un- and Under-Insured, Racially and Ethnically Diverse Urban Women
Abstract
Introduction: For the over 28 million Americans without health insurance, there is a great need to develop programs that help meet the health needs of the uninsured population.Materials and Methods: We applied the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) quality improvement framework to the development, implementation, and evaluation of a breast cancer screening navigation program for un- and under-insured women.Results: Six critical steps emerged: (1) obtain program funding; (2) navigator training; (3) establish a referral base network of community partners that serve the un- and under-insured women; (4) implement a process to address the barriers to accessing mammography; (5) develop a language- and culturally-tailored messaging and media campaign; and (6) develop measures and process evaluation to optimize and expand the program's reach.Discussion: A Plan-Do-Study-Act approach allowed identification of the key elements for successful development, implementation and optimization of a breast cancer screening navigation program aimed at reaching and screening un- and underinsured women.
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