Culturally tailored patient navigation to shorten time from cancer diagnosis to treatment for American Indian and Alaska Native people in rural California
Developing a Culturally Informed Patient Navigation Program to Reduce Delays From Diagnosis to Treatment for Native Americans in a Rural Setting
This project will try a culturally tailored patient navigation program to shorten delays between cancer diagnosis and treatment for American Indian and Alaska Native adults living in rural California.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 71 (estimated) |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | University of Southern California Academic / other |
| Locations | 2 sites (Bishop, California and 1 other locations) |
| Trial ID | NCT07332312 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
The team will co-design a Community-Focused Patient Navigation (CFPN) program with American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) community members using community advisory boards, focus groups, and key informant interviews. CFPN navigators will work directly with patients across the cancer care continuum to create individualized treatment plans, provide care coordination, and offer opioid misuse education. Implementation and impact will be measured using PRISM and RE-AIM frameworks alongside Indigenous evaluation practices, tracking reach, timeliness, and maintenance of navigation services. The program will be delivered through Toiyabe Indian Health Program sites in Bishop and coordinated with USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center in Los Angeles.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal participants are American Indian and Alaska Native adults living in the Toiyabe Indian Health Program catchment who have any type of cancer at any stage, plus AIAN community members and healthcare staff who participate in co-design activities.
Not a fit: People who are not AIAN, who live outside the TIHP catchment area, or whose delays are due to factors unrelated to navigation (for example, clinical contraindications) may not benefit from this program.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could reduce time to treatment, improve access to culturally responsive care, and potentially improve cancer outcomes for AIAN patients in rural areas.
How similar studies have performed: Prior patient navigation programs have reduced delays and improved adherence in other populations, but culturally tailored navigation specifically for rural AIAN communities is relatively novel and less well studied.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * CAB: Self-identify as AIAN or have experience working with the AIAN community * CAB: Are 18 years or older * CAB: Live within Toiyabe Indian Health Program (TIHP) catchment area(s) * CAB: Are either a cancer patient/survivor/caregiver and/or a family member of an individual(s) affected by cancer, OR a Board member (ex: Tribal Health Board or Elders Board) * FOCUS GROUP: Self-identify as AIAN or a family member of an AIAN individual affected by cancer * FOCUS GROUP: Are 18 years or older * FOCUS GROUP: Live within TIHP catchment area(s) * FOCUS GROUP: Are either a cancer patient/survivor/caregiver and/or a family member of an individual(s) affected by cancer, OR a Board member (ex: Tribal Health Board or Elders Board) * KII: Be a TIHP healthcare staff member * KII: Be 18 years or older * KII: Work with AIAN cancer patients in TIHP catchment area * CFPN PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION: Have any type of cancer, are in any treatment stage along the cancer continuum * CFPN PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION: Self-identify as AIAN or be a TIHP patient * CFPN PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION: Live in the TIHP service area * CFPN PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION: Receive cancer-related services from TIHP Exclusion Criteria: * FOCUS GROUP: Individual with no experience with cancer either as a patient or know someone who is/was a cancer patient at TIHP * CFPN PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION: Not a TIHP patient * CFPN PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION: Does not currently have cancer or has not previously had cancer
Where this trial is running
Bishop, California and 1 other locations
- Toiyabe Indian Health Project — Bishop, California, United States (Recruiting)
- USC / Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center — Los Angeles, California, United States (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Claradina Soto — University of Southern California
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.