Key takeaways

• Overall distress decreased by a reported 7.4% among 837 individuals with complete pre- and post-navigation assessments in Komen’s telehealth navigation program.
• Emotional and financial distress showed the largest score reductions, although financial distress remained the highest-scoring domain after navigation.
• Screening at intake and major care transitions guided individualized education, emotional support, and connections to community resources and referral services.

A telehealth patient navigation program was associated with reduced distress across practical/financial, familial, emotional, and physical domains, according to an abstract presented at the 2026 JADPRO Live meeting in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The evaluation examined distress outcomes within Susan G. Komen’s Patient Care Center navigation program.

The program adapted the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Distress Thermometer for use in a nonclinical setting. Navigators used an 11-point scale, with higher scores indicating greater distress, to assess patients at intake and major care transitions. These included changes in treatment modality, upstaging or disease progression, transition to palliative or end-of-life care, and treatment completion or case closure.

During intake, patients rated distress in each of the 4 domains. Navigators used probing questions and active listening to identify contributing barriers and develop patient-centered assessments of need. Interventions included education, coaching, emotional support, and connections to community-based resources and referral services. The program aimed to obtain at least 2 measurements per patient to evaluate the impact of support.

Between April 1, 2025, and March 31, 2026, navigators obtained comparable pre- and post-navigation assessments for 837 individuals. The abstract reported a 7.4% decrease in overall distress. Average emotional distress scores declined from 5.6 to 4.4, and financial distress scores declined from 8.0 to 6.8. Familial distress decreased from 2.8 to 2.4, while physical distress decreased from 4.3 to 3.9. The abstract did not report a control group or statistical significance testing.

For oncology advanced practice providers, the findings highlight an approach that connects repeated distress screening with targeted navigation support. The authors concluded that routine measurement can help identify barriers and address unmet emotional and practical needs throughout the cancer continuum. They also emphasized the model’s potential to support individuals experiencing higher distress who may lack access to navigation services.

Source

Mayfield L, Lee T, Jackson F, Roman A. Reducing breast cancer distress using Komen’s telehealth navigation model. Poster presented at: 2026 JADPRO Live; 2026; Minneapolis, MN. Poster JL1405P.