EU NAVIGATE

Project Duration: September 2022 to August 2027

Most people who have cancer are older people, affecting millions of Europeans each year. It is essential to provide high-quality, equitable, and cost-effective care across the continuum of supportive, palliative, end-of-life, and survivorship care for both patients and caregivers.

The EU Navigate project is coordinated by the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and aims at evaluating the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a Navigation Intervention (NavCare-EU) for older people with cancer and their family caregivers in different health care systems in Europe.

ECO is the leader of Work Package 8 on Dissemination, exploitation and communication activities to ensure engagement with the public, patients and other relevant stakeholders.

We also lead the creation of actionable policy recommendations on navigation for older cancer patients beyond the trial context. 

Patient Navigation: The Path Towards Reduced Cancer Inequalities in Europe?

A report released as part of EU Navigate finds that a flexible patient- and family-focused approach using specially trained volunteers is essential to meet Europe’s diverse needs and improve quality of life for older people with cancer. The report is the result of an extensive stakeholder forum held in the run-up to the European Elections.

‘Patient navigation has been a great success in the US and Canada,’ said Prof. Dr Lieve Van den Block, Chair of the Ageing and Palliative Care Research Programme, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB). ‘Unfortunately, very few cancer navigation services have been developed in Europe, let alone tested using high-quality research methods. EU Navigate will lead the way, charting a course for more effective patient navigation services  in the EU.’

‘Lack of access to palliative care can result in preventable suffering and reduced quality of life for patients with life-limiting conditions, such as cancer,’ added Dr Julie Ling, Chief Executive Officer, European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC). ‘Patient navigation offers a valuable opportunity to enhance the integration of palliative care into standard cancer treatment across the life span.’