A Feasibility Study of a Volunteer Navigation Program in the Palliative Context.
Wendy Duggleby, Barbara Pesut, Grace Warner and 9 others
PMID 33030044WHAT IT FOUND
Nine volunteers and eight older adults rated the program acceptable, but 15 of 23 older adults withdrew, so it shows feasibility, not proof of benefit.
Key findings
01Nine volunteer navigators completed training and made 220 visits to 23 older adults over one year.
02Among eight older adults who completed the final questionnaire, all were satisfied with the services, but only 50% said they completed the navigation activities they wanted.
03Fifteen older adults withdrew during implementation, including four deaths and six who could not be contacted for the final interview.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only 8 of 23 older adults completed the final questionnaire, and 15 withdrew, including 4 deaths and 6 who could not be contacted. The smaller community had only 2 volunteers and 3 older person participants, so its data were combined with the larger community and community size could not be compared. The study measured feasibility and acceptability, not clinical outcomes. Volunteers had prior experience visiting older adults, so results may not apply to untrained volunteers. Participants were from two rural communities in western Canada, so other settings may differ.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest. The project received financial support from the Covenant Health Network of Excellence in Seniors’ Health and Wellness Innovation Grant.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read high satisfaction as proof that Nav-CARE improved health, quality of life, or service access. It was a feasibility study, and only 8 of 23 older adults completed the final questionnaire.