Single-arm Phase II Study of NDURE for Patients With HNC

The difference in the rate of initiation of PORT > 6 weeks after surgery between white and AA HNC patients (i.e., the difference in the percentage of white and AA participants who initiate PORT >6 weeks after surgery)

Median difference in time-to-PORT, defined as the difference in number of days from surgery to initiation of PORT between white and AA HNC patients

Days between surgery and the start of PORT is defined as the time, in days, between the date of definitive surgical resection to the initiation of radiation therapy. All of the criteria used to adjudicate the date of the definitive surgical procedure described for the primary outcome measure will be applied to this measure.

Percent of patients with pre-surgical radiation consultation as defined as the attendance by the patient at a consultation with a radiation oncologist (at MUSC or elsewhere) prior to surgery to discuss RT in the definitive or adjuvant setting.

Percent of patients with on-time dental extractions, defined as the extraction of teeth prior to discharge from the index hospitalization for the definitive surgical procedure. Patients who are edentulous are not evaluable for this measure.

Surgery to Pathology Report </= 7 days is defined as the production of the pathology report from the definitive surgical procedure within the electronic medical record (EMR) within 7 calendar days of the definitive surgical procedure. Addenda to the pathology report at the request of the HNC team (e.g. tumor p16 status) are not counted in this measure.

Percent of patients with surgery to PORT referral </= 10 days, defined as the placement of a referral for PORT, at MUSC or elsewhere, within 10 calendar days of the definitive surgical procedure.

Percent of patients with RT Referral to Consult </= 10 days, defined as the evaluation of the patient at a postoperative consultation with a radiation oncologist within 10 calendar days of the referral being placed (or postoperative appointment being scheduled in cases in which care has been established and the return visit is no longer a consultation). The consultation may occur in the clinic or the hospital depending upon clinical circumstances.

Percent of patients with RT Consult to Initiation </= 21 days, defined as the initiation of PORT within 21 calendar days of the patient being evaluated by a radiation oncologist for PORT.

The number of barriers identified by the navigator that are resolved during the NDURE intervention, as determined by the navigator log.

The Communication and Attitudinal Self-Efficacy Scale for Cancer-12 (CASE-cancer) measures self-efficacy within the context of productive communication and positive attitude for cancer patients. It is a psychometrically sound tool that may provide new information on important mediating factors of cancer care. The response scale ranges from 1 to 4 points (1= strongly disagree, 2=slightly disagree, 3=slightly agree, 4=strongly disagree). The twelve question scale is divided into 3 domains with 4 questions each. Scores from these subscales are added to compute a total score ranging from 12-48. Higher values represent a more positive attitude.

The number of barriers identified by the navigator that are not resolved during the NDURE intervention, as determined by the navigator log.

Percent of eligible participants who accrue to NDURE, defined as a participant who meets all inclusion criteria and no exclusion criteria

Percentage of enrolled participants who complete NDURE, defined as eligible patients who complete the baseline assessment, at least two NDURE intervention sessions, and the final follow-up assessment

The number of NDURE navigation sessions completed by a participant

The number of simultaneous cases (on-trial participants) being navigated by the NDURE navigator

The time (in minutes), that the NDURE navigator spends directly interacting with the patient to identify and address barriers to timely, equitable postoperative radiation therapy

The time (in minutes), that the navigator spends generating and enacting each Barrier Reduction Plan that is not directly interacting with the patient

The PSN-I measures the satisfaction with the interpersonal relationship with the patient navigator. The PSN-I score is defined as the total score of this 9-item scale. The total score ranges from 9 (minimum) to 45 (maximum); higher scores represent a better outcome (greater satisfaction with the interpersonal relationship with the navigator).

This 26-item scale measures the satisfaction of the logistical aspects of PN. The total score of the measure ranges from 0 (minimum) to 78 (maximum); higher scores represent a better outcome (greater satisfaction with the logistical aspects of navigation).

Care Transition Measure-15 (CTM-15) is a validated, psychometrically sound 15-item, unidimensional measure of care transitions across the healthcare system that is consistent with the concept of patient-centeredness and useful from an organization perspective for the purpose of performance measurement and quality improvement. Items are rated on a 4-point Likert scale from 'Strongly Disagree' (1) to 'Strongly Agree' (4). The CTM-15 score is calculated as the mean score (the summed score from each question divided by the total number of questions) with a linear transformation to 100. Scores range from 0-100; higher scores reflect more care integration and better care transitions.

The ISEL-12 is a validated, 12-item assessment of three subscales (appraisal, belonging, and tangible) that has been used to assess support in prior PN studies. Items are rated on a 4-point Likert scale from 'Definitely False' (1) to 'Definitely True' (4). The total score is calculated by summing scores across all items (with reverse coding for items 1, 2, 7, 8, 11, 12). Scores range from 12-48. Higher scores indicate more support.

The Perceived Susceptibility Questionnaire is modified version of a validated 3-item perceived susceptibility subscale for mammography screening to assess perceived susceptibility for delays starting PORT after HNC surgery. Items are rated on a 5-point Likert scale. Scores range from 3-15 with higher scores indicating higher perceived susceptibility.

The IPQ-R consequences subscale is easily modifiable to asses disease-specific perceived severity. The IPQ-R is a validated assessment of a patient's self-representation of the health consequences of their illness. There are 6 Items; each is rated using a 5-point Likert scale from 'Strongly Disagree' (1) to 'Strongly Agree' (5). The score is calculated by summing across all items (with reverse coding for item 3). Scores range from 5 to 30. Higher scores indicate a greater degree of perceived severity of the illness.

The Perceived Barriers Questionnaire is a self-report measure of the presence/absence of pre-specified barriers to cancer care (yes/no). The questionnaire has been used extensively to assess perceived barriers in prior PN studies. Scores range from 0-29; higher scores reflect a greater number of barriers to care