M.D. Anderson Participating in National Study To Determine Effectiveness of Health System ‘Navigators’ Among Hispanics

The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center is providing up to 4,000 Hispanics in the Houston area with health information as part of a study called Project FAROS, the Houston Business Journal reports. Project FAROS, funded with a CMS grant, is part of a national study looking at access to care issues among minorities. For the study, researchers will give one group of participants printed materials on health resources and assign them each a "navigator" who will help them understand complex medical language and provide step-by-step instructions on health services. Participants in a second group also will receive printed health materials but will not have access to a navigator. Researchers are hoping to determine the effectiveness of a navigator among people who are unfamiliar with health system services and processes. Lovell Jones, director of the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center's Center for Research on Minority Health and a lead investigator for FAROS, said, "Because Hispanics face financial and accessibility obstacles in gaining crucial screening and treatment services, we are delighted to provide much needed assistance in the hopes of reducing health disparities in this population" (Houston Business Journal, 4/12).