Apoyo Con Carino: Patient Navigation To Improve Palliative Care Outcomes (713)

1.Understand how a patient navigator model can work to improve palliative care outcomes.2.Understand the qualitative outcomes of the patient navigator intervention. Patient navigators are persons from the community who work with patients and families to reduce barriers to care. This model has been successful in reducing health disparities, especially in the areas of cancer-related care. To determine the feasibility and understand the qualitative processes of an innovative patient navigator intervention to improve palliative care outcomes for seriously ill Latinos. Randomized controlled trial of 80 self-identified Latino adults recruited at an index hospitalization. All patients receive a packet of educational materials in English or Spanish, appropriate for low health literacy, and focused on advance care planning, pain management, and hospice care. Intervention patients receive approximately 5 home visits from a patient navigator. Simple statistics were used to determine feasibility of the intervention and qualitative analysis was completed for the navigator's field notes from each visit. Enrollment began 12 months ago and after an initial slow start, enrollment rates have steadily increased giving an average rate of 20% consenting to participate, or 4–5/month. Reasons for not participating include feeling too sick, simply not interested, or not in need of help. Fifty-six patients have consented and in the intervention group (n = 28), 15 have completed the home visits, 12 are in the active navigation phase, and 1 patient has been lost to follow up. Of the six deaths in the intervention group, five had hospice care. Qualitative analysis of field notes reveal that in addition to addressing palliative care, the patient navigator helps access community resources, provides extensive emotional support, and helps families find peace. A patient navigator intervention is a feasible model to improve palliative care outcomes for Latinos. Patient navigators work beyond the scope of the prescribed intervention in helping patients and families facing serious illness.