Trial Summary
What is the purpose of this trial?Adult hearing loss in is the third most common chronic health condition in the United States. Adults living in rural areas face a higher risk of experiencing hearing loss, and more difficulty receiving testing and treatment than adults in urban settings. The goal of this clinical trial is to develop and test a community-based hearing healthcare patient navigation program in rural Kentucky. The main question this study aims to answer is:
-Can the number of rural adults receiving diagnostic hearing tests be increased?
Will I have to stop taking my current medications?
The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.
What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Patient Navigation Program for Hearing Health Care?
Patient navigation programs have been shown to improve access to care and satisfaction among patients in other areas, like cancer screening and treatment, by helping them overcome barriers and navigate complex healthcare systems. This suggests that similar benefits might be seen in hearing health care, as the program aims to provide personalized support and improve access to necessary services.
12345How does the Patient Navigation Program for Hearing Loss differ from other treatments for hearing loss?
The Patient Navigation Program for Hearing Loss is unique because it focuses on providing personalized support and guidance to help patients navigate the healthcare system, similar to its use in cancer care. Unlike traditional treatments that directly address hearing loss, this program aims to overcome barriers to care and ensure continuity of care, making it a novel approach in managing hearing loss.
12367Eligibility Criteria
This clinical trial is for adults over the age of 18 who live in rural areas and may be experiencing hearing loss. Participants must speak, understand, and read English to join.Inclusion Criteria
Able to speak, understand, and read English
I am 18 years old or older.
Exclusion Criteria
I am under 18 years old.
Trial Timeline
Screening
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial
2-4 weeks
Treatment
Pilot testing of the Patient Navigation Program with adults in rural primary care clinics
12 months
Follow-up
Participants are monitored for the number of diagnostic audiograms obtained after enrollment
4 weeks
Participant Groups
The study is testing a community-based patient navigation program designed to help rural adults get diagnostic tests for hearing loss. It aims to see if this program increases the number of people getting tested.
1Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Group I: Rural Clinic Hearing Healthcare Patient Navigation ProgramExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
This arm will involve pilot testing of the Patient Navigation Program with adults in rural primary care clinics
Find a Clinic Near You
Research Locations NearbySelect from list below to view details:
University of Kentucky Department of OtolaryngologyLexington, KY
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Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?
Matthew Bush, MDLead Sponsor
National Institutes of Health (NIH)Collaborator
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)Collaborator
References
Satisfaction With Health Care Among Patients Navigated for Preventive Cancer Screening. [2022]Patient navigation (PN) programs can improve cancer screening in underserved populations. PN may advance quality and equity of care by supporting individuals at increased risk of not receiving recommended care.
Experiences of cancer patients in a patient navigation program: a qualitative systematic review. [2019]A patient navigation program is a model of care which entails trained personnel providing individualized and assistive care to adult oncology patients to help the patients overcome barriers. A further aim of the program is to achieve continuity of care as patients experience the complex healthcare system. Patient navigation is a new model of care in many institutions, and as such the experiences of patients in the patient navigation program remains inconclusive.
A national patient navigator training program. [2021]Patient Navigation is an intervention aimed at addressing cancer health disparities by eliminating barriers to diagnosis, treatment, and services. Three major patient navigation (PN) programs (The National Cancer Institute, The American Cancer Society &The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services) are underway to address the needs of medically underserved cancer patients. There has not been national training with a defined curriculum for patient navigators (PNs). Curriculum for training the PNs was created by experts from the three programs. The efficacy of training was evaluated using a pre- and posttest. The data show that overall the posttest scores improved from the pretest. In addition, having a high school education or greater or having more years of work experience were significantly related to improvements on the posttest. The first successful standardized national training program was attended by 116 PNs representing 85 cities with the goal to reduce health disparities for medically underserved.
Patient navigation (PN) support to timely access to radiotherapy in the Brazilian public health system. [2023]Patient navigation (PN) is a community-based service delivery intervention designed to promote access to timely diagnosis and treatment of cancer and other chronic diseases by eliminating barriers to integral care. Considering the complex difficulties in accessing treatment and the positive results of PN in high-income countries, our group decided to evaluate this tool to improve radiotherapy (RT) access in the public system in Brazil.
Effectiveness of system navigation programs linking primary care with community-based health and social services: a systematic review. [2023]Fragmented delivery of health and social services can impact access to high-quality, person-centred care. The goal of system navigation is to reduce barriers to healthcare access and improve the quality of care. However, the effectiveness of system navigation remains largely unknown. This systematic review aims to identify the effectiveness of system navigation programs linking primary care with community-based health and social services to improve patient, caregiver, and health system outcomes.
Satisfaction with cancer care among underserved racial-ethnic minorities and lower-income patients receiving patient navigation. [2022]Patient navigation is a barrier-focused program of care coordination designed to achieve timely and high-quality cancer-related care for medically underserved racial-ethnic minorities and the poor. However, to the authors' knowledge, few studies to date have examined the relationship between satisfaction with navigators and cancer-related care.
Implementation of evidence-based patient navigation programs. [2017]Patient navigation refers to a direct patient care role that links patients with clinical providers and their support system and provides individualized support during cancer care, ensuring that patients have access to the knowledge and resources necessary to complete recommended treatment. While most reports have studied the role of patient navigators during the cancer screening or diagnostic process, emerging evidence indicates the benefits of patient navigation during active cancer treatment.