Navigator Nurses and Telenavigation Applications in Gynaecological Oncology
Chapter from the book:
Bulut,
Ö.
Ü.
(ed.)
2025.
Technology and Innovation in Health Sciences: An Interdisciplinary Approach.
Synopsis
With the advancement of technology and the pandemic, services have begun to be provided remotely in many areas. These changes have also brought about remote access services in the healthcare sector. This situation is particularly important for patients diagnosed with cancer in terms of access to healthcare services, costs, and education. It is recommended that services such as telehealth and tele-oncology be expanded, particularly in communities exposed to health inequalities. Telehealth is used in the care of patients diagnosed with cancer, in the management of cancer symptoms, in increasing survival rates, in the remote monitoring of chemotherapy, and in receiving palliative care and psychological support. Patients undergoing treatment in the field of gynaecological oncology find the diagnosis and treatment process complex, highlighting the need for patient navigators. The numerous physical, economic and psychosocial barriers encountered by this patient group during the process demonstrate the necessity for them to benefit from tele-navigation and the services of a navigator nurse, who is a member of the professional team. The concept of the navigator nurse, which integrates the guiding role of the oncology nurse, also ensures that care is provided in a more comprehensive and holistic manner. Thanks to navigator nurse care, side effects and complications of cancer treatments are addressed earlier, and patients are better equipped to cope with cancer symptoms. Telemedicine navigation offers oncology nurses an innovative approach to the cancer follow-up management process. Telemedicine navigation services are viewed positively by both patients and healthcare professionals for providing psychological support, reliable data access, and assurance regarding home monitoring. Attention should be drawn to the widespread integration of telenavigation services, an innovative tracking technique with limited literature, into the healthcare system and, in particular, to the expansion of telenavigation applications in gynaecological cancer patients, which affect women's health worldwide and in Turkey.
