What kind of technology can assist oncology navigators in their work?

Oncology navigators benefit significantly from advanced technology that enhances their ability to coordinate care, track patient progress, and communicate effectively with both patients and healthcare teams. Electronic health records (EHR) provide centralized access to patients' medical history, treatments, and demographics, allowing navigators to quickly retrieve and update essential information. Telehealth tools enable navigators to connect with patients remotely, facilitating communication and follow-up, especially for those who may have difficulty attending in-person appointments. Patient management software streamlines the scheduling of appointments, monitoring of treatment plans, and coordination of multidisciplinary care teams, which are crucial for supporting patients through their cancer journey.

In contrast, basic spreadsheets and mailing systems lack the comprehensive features needed to handle the complex tasks oncology navigators face, while manual filing systems and paper charts are time-consuming and prone to errors, making information retrieval inefficient. Relying solely on telephone communication limits the navigator’s ability to manage multiple patient interactions simultaneously and does not provide robust documentation or data tracking capabilities. Thus, the integration of the specified technologies represents an essential advancement in supporting oncology navigators effectively in their roles.