Patient navigators effectively support HIV-infected individuals returning to the community from jail settings

Abstract

Purpose

Patient navigation is an evidence-based approach for enhancing medical and support service co-ordination and ensuring linkage to medical care for people living with HIV released from jail. The paper aims to discuss this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

This brief describes the benefits of patient navigation and issues to consider when implementing a navigator program. The authors use process data to describe the type and amount of navigation services delivered as part of a randomized study, the “The San Francisco Navigator Project.”

Findings

Navigation programs are able to accommodate a range of service needs; most clients required multiple types of services, particularly during the first two months after release.

Originality/value

Navigation programs should be prioritized because they provide unique and essential support for people leaving jail during the particularly vulnerable time immediately after release navigation plays a crucial role in retaining individuals in care and preventing onward transmission of HIV.

Citation

Myers, J.J., Koester, K.A., Kang Dufour, M.-S., Jordan, A.O., Cruzado-Quinone, J. and Riker, A. (2017), "Patient navigators effectively support HIV-infected individuals returning to the community from jail settings", International Journal of Prisoner Health, Vol. 13 No. 3/4, pp. 213-218. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPH-08-2016-0037