As Canadians, we have recently begun to fully absorb the consequences of an unintegrated healthcare system. Many of us constantly hear or know of individuals who are seeking care within our provincially funded healthcare space, but quickly getting lost amidst the different healthcare providers who are deeply disconnected from one another. And many times, this can have a serious effect on clinical outcomes, care delivery and treatment for a patient. It also frequently duplicates efforts, along with increasing overall healthcare costs and wait times.
This ongoing issue has helped create a need for care navigation within the Canadian healthcare ecosystem, one that is usually coordinated by licensed nurses or nurse practitioners.
What is a Nurse Navigator
A nurse navigator works with a multidisciplinary care team to plan and coordinate healthcare options and delivery of care for clients. Nurse navigators provide education and support to patients and their families, as they help facilitate transition of care to assure that patients have appropriate referrals and follow-up care after discharge from the hospital or following an appointment. They also empower patients to actively participate in their care and help uncover valid and timely healthcare options for them.
Once a nurse navigator is actively working with a client, they gather all the relevant information about their healthcare and begin to collaborate with a multidisciplinary team, including other nurses, physicians, case managers, social workers etc. to ensure that there is a thorough review of their healthcare circumstance. They can also help provide connections to community providers such as home care agencies, assisted living facilities, rehabilitation facilities and skilled nursing facilities, as needed.
Nurse navigators also stay in close communication with the patient, their family and any caregivers, to ensure appropriate and timely care coordination and delivery.
At Advica Health, we connect our clients to dedicated Nurse Navigators, who are extensively trained to provide clients with appropriate, evidence-based interventions, that help to address barriers and concerns and ensure they clients a seamless healthcare experience. A major focus of our Nurse Navigators is to help identify these potential barriers, and to access appropriate disease management solutions, as well as identify and help eliminate factors that could lead to negative health outcomes for our clients. Nurse navigators work as problem-solvers, who are willing to work with client-specific goals in mind, to ensure that all valid and applicable healthcare options are made available to them and help facilitate and access to the most appropriate options for the client.
Advica Health Nurse Navigators can help with:
– Searching for a new family doctor or a specific doctor/specialist
– Scheduling a diagnostic test (MRI, CT, DNA test etc.)
– Obtaining a medically relevant second opinion through WorldCare
– Obtaining support around a chronic illness or health diagnosis
– Understanding specific healthcare options and deciding on next steps based on prior history
We believe that each client is unique in their healthcare experience, and thus it’s important for them to work with a dedicated nurse navigator who can provide them with a personalized healthcare approach.
