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28.12.2022

What is the Patient-Friendly Americas Program?

An American Model of Assistance, Patient Navigation was introduced in Brazil in the early 2010s and has been increasingly employed by third sector organizations, especially those focused on oncology.  

At Américas Amigas the Patient Navigation Program starts when the person assisted by the Programa Amigas de Donação de Exams for the Detection and Diagnosis of Breast Cancer presents an altered mammogram or ultrasound image, which demands a journey until the diagnosis is clarified and, if the breast cancer is confirmed, the introduction and integration of the patient into the public health system for treatment to begin.  

The Navigation is performed by nursing professionals or social workers trained in oncology, who, by means of telephone and WhatsApp contact, guide the patient, bridge the gap with medical specialists, schedule appointments, check diagnostic test results, and assist in all steps of the patient's journey.  

As a rule, the navigator also interacts with the family to provide greater support to the patient, who often feels disoriented when faced with the suspicion of a disease as impactful as breast cancer. By reducing barriers of technological accessibility, as well as social, psychological and emotional barriers, the Patient Navigation contributes to a less complex diagnostic journey and, by speeding up the diagnostic steps, a better prognosis for confirmed cases of breast cancer.

In September 2022, when law 14,450 was sanctioned, patients served by the Public Health System also began to benefit from the newly created National Patient Navigation Program for People with Malignant Breast Cancer Neoplasia.

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