Care navigation is a service provided by a designated professional who helps patients access and coordinate healthcare as they move through the continuum of care. This is especially beneficial when care is fragmented or complicated and can greatly improve the patient experience.
Once considered an elite service for patients who could pay out-of-pocket for such care, care navigation is becoming mainstream, thanks to data showing how the practice can improve outcomes and reduce cost. Care navigators can provide the logistics needed to line up appointments in a specific way, arrange for transportation, provide language translating and other services that eliminate wasted time, missed appointments and other inefficiencies. It’s also demonstrating its ability to achieve greater health equity in some markets.
Care Navigation was a healthcare industry trend in our 2022 March Healthcare Classic. Explore this year’s interactive bracket to see the most impactful healthcare trends face off.