What is the primary purpose of community assessments in patient navigation?

The primary purpose of community assessments in patient navigation is to understand the population served and identify resources. This approach allows patient navigators to effectively assess the unique needs and characteristics of the community, which can significantly impact health outcomes. By gathering insights about demographics, health disparities, prevalent conditions, and available services, navigators can tailor their support to better assist individuals in accessing necessary care, education, and resources.

Understanding the population enables navigators to create targeted interventions, address barriers to care, and advocate for necessary changes in health services to meet specific community needs. This comprehensive understanding fosters a more effective navigation process, ensuring that patients receive the right support at the right time.

Other choices, such as increasing patient load on healthcare providers or gathering data solely for marketing purposes, do not align with the fundamental goals of patient navigation, which center around patient-centered care and improving health equity. Similarly, while determining insurance eligibility is an important aspect of patient support, it is not the overarching purpose of conducting community assessments.