Integrated health and the development of ‘Therapeutic Patient Navigation’
December 12, 2017
Kimberly T. Washington, program clinical manager for St. Jude’s Project at Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington, wrote an article for the journal of the National Association of Social Workers. The article introduces the reader to a model of care called Therapeutic Patient Navigation, which was created to meet the needs of patients with neurodegenerative disorders.
According to the article: “The service goals of Therapeutic Patient Navigation would include counseling individuals and families, linking patients to specialty care, assisting with medical adherence, participating in the health planning process, educating patients and family about the illness, and providing extensive support with daily functioning via wraparound service referrals.”
Therapeutic Patient Navigation is a referral-based program that requires extensive community building and strong organizational partnerships. It is an example of an integrated health solution, which provides care in a holistic manner. The patient and his or her caregivers are supported through in-person contact at their homes and wraparound services that focus on the needs of the whole person and not just the underlying illness.
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