Community-campus partnership in action: Lessons learned from the dupage county patient navigation collaborative

摘要

Background: Using community-based participatory research (CBPR), the DuPage County Patient Navigation Collaborative (DPNC) developed an academic campus-community research partnership aimed at increasing access to care for underserved breast and cervical cancer patients within DuPage County, a collar county of Chicago. Given rapidly shifting demographics, targeting CBPR initiatives among underserved suburban communities is essential. Objectives: To discuss the facilitating factors and lessons learned in forging the DPNC. Methods: A patient navigation collaborative was formed to guide medically underserved women through diagnostic resolution and if necessary, treatment, after an abnormal breast or cervical cancer screening. Lessons Learned: Facilitating factors included (1) fostering and maintaining collaborations within a suburban context, (2) a systems-based participatory research approach, (3) a truly equitable community-academic partnership, (4) funding adaptability, (5) culturally relevant navigation, and (6) emphasis on co-learning and capacity building. Conclusions: By highlighting the strategies that contributed to DPNC success, we envision the DPNC to serve as a feasible model for future health interventions.