Characteristics and Effectiveness of Patient Navigation Programs on Colorectal Cancer Screening and Follow-Up Colonoscopy Uptake: A Systematic Review.

Introduction: Patient navigation is an evidence-based intervention that can be used to address patient-level barriers and ultimately increase colorectal cancer screening rates. Because implementation can affect the effectiveness of navigation programs, it is important to study the implementation and effectiveness of the programs to inform future work. Methods: The authors conducted a systematic review of English-language academic journal articles published from 2004 through 2023 and covering studies conducted in the U.S. After literature searches in 4 databases, reviewers independently screened titles and abstracts for potential relevance, followed by a full-text review of articles. The authors abstracted data from included articles, including study characteristics, cancer screening and intervention characteristics and outcomes (when provided), and screening outcomes. The authors assessed the quality of included studies using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool for Randomized Trials (ROB 2). The approach adhered to the PRISMA recommendations. Results: The authors included 30 studies, and nearly all ( Discussion: Patient navigation can be an effective strategy for improving colorectal cancer screening uptake. Further research is needed to understand implementation outcomes to bolster screening impact, inform resource allocation, promote equitable implementation, and improve patient outcomes.