AONN+’s Precision Medicine Toolkit: A Resource Guide for the Navigator
Educating Oncology Navigators About Precision Medicine
Technologies in precision medicine are rapidly evolving with respect to cancer care. Oncology nurse and patient navigators are often the first to support newly diagnosed cancer patients and their families to provide the best support they need to better understand these emerging treatments and the genetic and genomic tests that accompany them. So, the Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators (AONN+) and Pfizer Oncology developed the “Precision Medicine Toolkit: A Resource Guide for the Navigator” to help improve oncology navigators’ knowledge in precision medicine and on how to play an active role when working with patients appropriate for genetic and genomic testing.
The 36-page guide provides a working knowledge of precision medicine, germline and somatic testing, and how it may specifically impact the patient population they serve. It also helps oncology navigators learn how to identify the appropriate patients who require referral to a genetic professional and what they need to know about the process. For instance, the screening or identification will need to occur early in the continuum to ensure the patient is directed to the appropriate genetic resources before the start of treatment. The patient may also need to be referred at the progression of treatment.
To date, this toolkit has been opened 1,158 times. On Facebook, one reader posted: “I just wanted to recommend downloading the Precision Medicine toolkit. So informative. Thank you AONN and Pfizer. An absolute must for all Nurse and Patient Navigators.”
