Completion of Client Navigation Goals Following Participation in a Student-Led Patient Navigator Program

Context: The Patient Navigator Program (PNP) is a unique medical student-run program providing services for persons experiencing homelessness (PEH) in Dallas, Texas, at United Gospel Mission (UGM) clinics. With homelessness becoming more prevalent, PNP patient navigators aim to help the PEH population maneuver complex healthcare systems.

Objective: This study investigates client navigation goal completion and considers if medical student navigators are inadequately trained.

Study Design: With navigator support, clients completed a Redcap survey on goal outcomes at the end of their 15-week cycle. Goal completion status and category type were studied. Comparison of healthcare vs. non-healthcare goal completion frequencies was conducted using a chi-squared analysis.

Dataset: Clients from UGM Women’s and Men’s shelters in Dallas, Texas were included. Data was collected from completed survey responses.

Population Studied: Redcap survey responses were collected from 16 clients between 2021-2024, with 81 total goals analyzed.

Intervention: Primary intervention included client participation in PNP, and outcomes were analyzed utilizing a post-cycle survey administered to understand clients’ experiences with homelessness and goal outcomes.

Outcome Measures: Primary outcome measure assessed was goal completion rates by clients at the end of each cycle. Secondary outcome measures included the difference in goal completion rates stratified by healthcare and non-health-care goals.

Results: 55 of 81 (67.9%) total client goals were successfully completed, including 24 of 34 (70.6%) healthcare goals and 31 of 47 (66.0%) non-healthcare goals. There was no statistical difference between frequency of healthcare and non-healthcare goal completion (p=0.660). The average number of goals created per client were 2.13 healthcare, 2.94 non-healthcare, and 5.06 overall. On average, each client completed 1.5 healthcare, 1.94 non-healthcare, and 3.44 overall goals.

Conclusions: Our study revealed high rates of client goal completion for clients completing their navigation cycles. Multiple goals completed per client and similar frequency of healthcare and non-healthcare goal completion suggest that PNP’s training elective does adequately prepare students to provide navigation of healthcare goals to the same level as non-healthcare goals. This analysis supports the efficacy of navigation programs in assisting PEH and may help other institutions develop similar initiatives.