Ms Isabelle Haklar1, KATIE CUNDALE1, MATILDA D’ANTOINE1, MADISON CACHAGEE, SAMANTHA BATEMAN2, STEPHEN MCDONALD2, SHILPA JESUDASON2, KATE TYRELL2, JANET KELLY3, KIM D’DONNELL3, KYLIE HERMAN4, HEATHER HALL5, MICHELLE MISENER5, JAMPIJINPA ROSS5, PETER HENWOOD5, NEIL WILKSHIRE5, DAVID CROKER5, CEDRINA ALGY5, RHANEE LESTER4, KELLI KARRIKARRINGKA OWEN1
1SAHMRI, Adelaide, Australia, 2CALHN, Adelaide, Australia, 3The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia, 4FUNLHN, Port Augusta, Australia, 5Panuku, Darwin, Australia
Biography:
Bio to come
Aim:
To demonstrate how a coordinated Patient Navigator model improves patient care, wellbeing, and cultural safety across renal and transplantation units in two jurisdictions sharing a single transplant service in Australia.
Background:
The COMPASS (Connecting Our Mob: Patient navigators As Sustainable Supports) project aims to address inequities in transplantation pathways by embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Patient Navigators—people with lived experience of kidney disease— into mainstream healthcare settings.
Methods:
Patient Navigators were employed at four sites across the Northern Territory and South Australia: Panuku (Darwin), Purple House (Alice Springs), Port Augusta and Royal Adelaide Hospitals. A First Nations registered nurse was employed as the Patient Navigator Coordinator at the tertiary transplant centre in Adelaide. Pre and post program Kidney Journey mapping and Yarning was conducted with patients, Navigators and health professionals.
Results:
Patient navigator support reduced patient distress, supported attendance at appointments, and improved understanding and engagement with the transplant work-up process. Patients felt safer and more confident navigating systems, while Navigators identified the Coordinator as essential to safely and successfully integrate the roles into the mainstream system. Health service staff highlighted the model’s role in promoting cultural knowledge exchange and safety while strengthening patient-clinician relationships. The biggest challenges were in workforce recruitment and retention, and sustainably embedding the role within the health system
Conclusion:
Patient Navigators can improve the cultural safety and responsiveness of healthcare systems while meaningfully increasing the First Nations health workforce. Key learnings from COMPASS are being used to advocate for widespread integration of Patient Navigators in health services across Australia. COMPASS implementation insights provide a valuable resource for other healthcare services looking to establish or expand Navigator programs.