Second list of shortlisted candidates for Patient Navigation Program - Kevat (2022 - 23)
	Message from Dr. R. A. Badwe, Director, TMC, on KEVAT

Overview of the Course

It is estimated that the cancer burden in India is likely to increase from an approximate incidence of 1 million cases in 2012 to about 1.7 million in 2035. Over the years, Tata Memorial Hospital (TMH) has witnessed a steady increase in the number of cancer cases registered. In 2019, about 1,10,000 new cases were registered in all TMC centres across the country; of which 45,624 were registered in TMH alone. Currently, 65,000 new cancer patients and 450,000 follow-ups are registered annually. More so, 40% of the patients visiting TMH come from Maharashtra (15% from Mumbai alone), while 60% of the patients come from other states of the country.

The increasing burden of the disease coupled with diversity of patient population and multi-disciplinary and complex nature of cancer-care necessitates creation of a dynamic network for efficient patient navigation for addressing diverse patient needs. With the ever-increasing number of patients visiting the Hospital each year, it is impossible to do justice to every interaction a doctor has with a patient. There is a need felt for trained professionals to help patients manage their medical experience, coordinate their care with clinical team and assist them with navigation in complex, multi-step medical system.

Aim of the Course

The aim of initiating a patient navigation program in oncology is to create a taskforce trained to handhold cancer patients and help them navigate through the cancer continuum of diagnosis, treatment, cure, survival; and serve special needs of palliation, end-of-life; to offer seamless care to patients and survivors.

Tata Memorial Centre (TMC), in collaboration with Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) and with support from Tata Trusts, has introduced a one year (full time) Post Graduate Diploma in Patient Navigation (KEVAT), for the first time in India. The course will address the need for a structured patient support system for cancer care that will form a bridge between patients and access to care.

About Patient Navigation

Patient Navigation is a rapidly growing and evolving healthcare profession. The concept evolved from Dr. Harold Freeman’s groundbreaking patient navigation study in 1995 and has steadily grown over the past couple of decades. While the need for patient navigation has never been greater, the role of the patient navigator and scope of practice has been ill-defined until now. Patient navigation programs have proliferated quickly with no clear standards.

This Patient Navigation Program - KEVAT is the first in India to focus on an emerging patient navigation model that can be applied across all cancer care institutions. The program shall empower the navigators to:

• Build knowledge base in patient navigation in oncology with adept understanding of medical terminologies & assimilate understanding on cancer and its treatment protocols, supportive care options, including risks and benefits of integrative therapies, rehabilitation, funding options, insurance and other patient allied services; along with honing skill set for developing and implementing patient navigation programs in hospitals.
• Garner perspective on principles and operations of health systems, concepts of evidence-based information on cancer screening, diagnosis, treatment and survivourship
• Actively manage and devise follow-up practices & use evaluation metrics (patient encounters, patient feedback and overcoming barriers to care) to improve hospital systems to ensure better patient compliance and outcomes
• Advocate for quality and optimal patient care systems and improving healthcare delivery through appropriate resource planning and management
• Bring about attitudinal change in concept of care with a common vision and mission to offer best socio-economic support and strike equitable balance with limited resources

Key Features

• The first academic program in the country that provides training in patient navigation in oncology care in India
• Diploma certificate is offered by TMC and TISS
• Mentoring by national and international experts in the field of healthcare
• Observership and Hands-on experience at Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai
• Six months-paid internship for students
• Outstation posting at various cancer-centres in the country
• Projects under the guidance of renowned oncologists
• Development of manegerial capabilities, soft skills and personality development
• Great placement opportunities for trainees
• Assistance with networking and recruitment

Course Objectives

• Creating a special work force that would effectively address various patient-needs.
• Patient navigators will form an access bridge connecting patient to delivery of care as well as be the mechanism to reduce the burden on medical care professionals.
• They would seamlessly incorporate the principles of both a ‘’thinker” and a “worker’’ to work towards a non-negotiable goal of patient care.
• Be empowered with requisite information and communication skills to support patient care in complex multistep medical systems
• Perform as counsellors for patients bringing comfort to care
• Be enabled to effectively undertake the administration requirements/challenges for running patient navigation programs at hospitals.

Patient Navigation is a novel concept in Oncology and in Healthcare. There are many research papers and publications that recognize the need and merit of the role of patient navigators co-existing in a system functioning with social workers and psychologists. While a social worker may be expected to learn about the medical aspects while on job, TMC through this course plans on integrating this learning in the course. Hands-on learning will form an essential part of skill development.

This course can induct graduates/post-graduates and equip them with necessary wherewithal (clinical and psycho-social aspects) to work in an oncology set-up.

Career growth and opportunities

There is a pressing need for well-trained patient navigators in onco-care. More so, being a nascent area of speciality in cancer care, the scope of growth and development of navigators in all public and private institutions holds immense potential.

New centres are being created across the country to tackle the quantum of increasing burden of cancer. Tata Memorial Centre is also expanding and prototypes are planned on the lines of hub and spoke models at Vizag, Sangrur, Chandigarh, Varanasi and Guwahati

New opportunities for growth of patient navigators within the existing and expanding TMC network are also envisaged. Avenues for growth shall also be presented to the patient navigators within the National Cancer Grid network for maintaining the uniformity of standards of patient care throughout the country. Tata Trusts also plans on developing new cancer centres in the North-East. Patient navigators would play a vital role in managing patient support in these centres right from its inception.