Using Concept Mapping to Explore Interpersonal Communication Components of Patient Navigation in Breast Cancer Care.
Sarah F Gallups, Jill Demirci, Marci Nilsen and 3 others
PMID 35439221WHAT IT FOUND
Patients and navigators in breast cancer care agreed most on empathetic support, bridging to education and resources, and coordinating individualized care.
The work describes what people valued, not proof that navigation improves outcomes.
Key findings
01The concept map grouped 85 statements into six clusters of patient-navigator interpersonal communication.
02Patients and patient navigators rated empathetic support, bridging to clinical education and supportive resources, and coordinating ongoing individualized care as most important to the patient-navigator relationship.
03Administrators rated coordinating ongoing individualized care as most important, and all groups rated trust-building, personalized communication and care, and professional thoughtful communication as less important.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The sample was small and drawn from Western Pennsylvania, so the clusters may not reflect breast cancer patient populations elsewhere. Participants were mostly people with secondary education and reliable internet access, and no Asian or Hispanic patients were included. Not everyone completed every concept-mapping step, especially the interpretation sessions. The study was qualitative concept mapping, so it describes stakeholder perspectives rather than testing whether communication behaviors improve care.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The supplied text does not name a funder.
The easy way to misread this
Do not treat these six communication clusters as proven ingredients that improve cancer care. The study asked participants to brainstorm, sort, and rate statements about their experiences; it did not test whether navigation or communication training changed patient outcomes.