Overview
Patient navigators help patients understand imaging orders, prepare for exams, arrange transportation and connect them with resources to reduce missed appointments and anxiety.
Care Coordination
They liaise with referring clinicians, schedulers and social services to expedite urgent imaging, clarify insurance or authorization issues and arrange language or accessibility supports.
Education and Advocacy
Navigators provide plain language explanations of procedures, consent processes and expected next steps and escalate clinical concerns to care teams when needed.
Qualifications and Impact
Navigators often have clinical or social work backgrounds and improve adherence, equity of access and patient satisfaction by addressing social determinants and system barriers.