Characterizing Time to Diagnostic Resolution After an Abnormal Cancer Screening Exam in Older Adult Participants in the Ohio Patient Navigation Research Program

Objective: This study aims to test the effectiveness of a patient navigation (PN) intervention to reduce time to diagnostic resolution among older adults age 65 years versus those <65 years with abnormal breast, cervical, or colorectal cancer screening exams participating in the Ohio Patient Navigation Research Program (OPNRP). Method: The OPNRP utilized a nested cohort group-randomized trial design to randomize 862 participants (n = 67 for 65 years; n = 795 for <65 years) to PN or usual care conditions. A shared frailty Cox model tested the effect of PN on time to resolution. Results: Older adult participants randomized to PN achieved a 6-month resolution rate that was 127% higher than those randomized to usual care (p = .001). This effect was not significantly different from participants <65 years. Discussion: PN significantly reduced time to diagnostic resolution among older adults beginning 6 months after an abnormal cancer screening exam. Health care systems should include this population in PN programs to reduce cancer disparities.