Peer Navigator Program for Disabilities

(OP-ENS - CL Trial)

Overseen By Susan Magasi, PhD

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Susan Magasi

Disqualifiers: Cognitive, sensory, physical limitations

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 13

Duration: 12 months

100 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

Do I need to stop taking my current medications for this trial?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It seems focused on a peer navigator program rather than medication changes.

What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Our Peers - Empowerment and Navigational Support - Community Living (OP-ENS - CL)?

The OP-ENS program, which uses peer health navigators to help people with disabilities access healthcare, is based on evidence showing that similar peer navigator programs have successfully helped underserved communities overcome barriers to healthcare. Additionally, a study on disability care coordination organizations showed significant improvements in healthcare access and quality for people with disabilities, suggesting that structured support can be effective. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Is the Peer Navigator Program for Disabilities safe for participants?

The available research does not provide specific safety data for the Peer Navigator Program for Disabilities or its related programs like OP-ENS - CL. The studies focus on adverse events in community care and drug safety, but do not directly address the safety of this specific program. ^{6 7 8 9 10}

How is the OP-ENS - CL treatment different from other treatments for disabilities?

The OP-ENS - CL treatment is unique because it uses peer navigators, who are individuals with disabilities themselves, to provide structured support and help others with disabilities overcome barriers to healthcare access. This community-based approach focuses on empowerment and personalized action planning, which is not typically found in standard treatments for disabilities. ^{1 2 4 11 12}

What is the purpose of this trial?

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if a remote peer navigator intervention (OP-ENS - CL) for people with newly acquired physical disabilities returning to community living after rehabilitation improves self-reported social support, health, and community participation. The main questions it aims to answer are: Do people with acquired physical disabilities who receive the remote peer navigator intervention experience greater social support and self-efficacy than people in the control group? Do people with acquired physical disabilities who receive the remote peer navigator intervention have better self-reported health and social participation outcomes than people in the control group? Is the OP-ENS - CL intervention acceptable to people with newly acquired physical disabilities returning to community living?

Research Team

Susan Magasi, PhD

Principal Investigator

University of Illinois Chicago

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for adults who have recently acquired physical disabilities and are transitioning back to community living after rehabilitation. Participants should be willing to engage with a remote peer navigator program.

Inclusion Criteria

Transitioned to community living in the past 4 months

Able to speak, read and understand English

Onset of disability within the last 6 months

Exclusion Criteria

Cognitive, sensory, or physical functional limitations that interfere with effective use of the OP-ENS - CL app.

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Treatment

Participants receive a remote peer navigator intervention for 12 months, meeting at least monthly with a peer navigator to address healthcare needs and concerns.

12 months

At least 12 visits (remote)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for social support, health, and community participation outcomes after the intervention.

1 month

1 visit (remote)

Treatment Details

Interventions

• Our Peers - Empowerment and Navigational Support - Community Living (OP-ENS - CL)

Trial Overview The study tests if the OP-ENS - CL intervention, which involves guidance from peers also living with disabilities, can improve social support, health outcomes, and community participation for these individuals.

Participant Groups

Group I: OP-ENS - CL Intervention Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Participants will be matched with a peer navigator. As part of this complex behavioral intervention, participants and peer navigators will engage in a systematic process of barrier and strength identification, goal setting and action planning related to issues of healthcare access and quality. Participants and peers will meet remotely at least monthly over the course of the 12-month study period (but frequency is determined by participant need). Given the nature of the disability and community living experience, we anticipate the needs and therefore frequency will fluctuate over the duration of the study period. Beginning in month 10, participants and peers will engage in a period of transition planning to ensure that participants have the strategies and supports in place to assume the role of their own navigator.

Group II: Usual Care Active Control 1 Intervention

Participants randomized to the usual care group will continue with their usual health, healthcare, and community living services routines. Participants in the usual care group will receive a monthly newsletter with general interest information relevant to the disability community.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Susan Magasi

Lead Sponsor

Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

Collaborator

Trials

42

Recruited

15,500+

Shirley Ryan AbilityLab

Collaborator

Trials

212

Recruited

17,900+

Findings from Research

The OP-ENS study demonstrated that peer navigators, who are trained individuals with disabilities, effectively improved health access for Medicaid beneficiaries by building trust and addressing social health concerns like poverty and discrimination.

The community-based participatory approach allowed peer navigators to refine the intervention based on their experiences, leading to a focus on social determinants of health and enhanced support for peers with mental health needs, highlighting the importance of consumer input in healthcare interventions.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Relationships at Work: Integrating the Perspectives of Disability Partners to Enhance a Peer Navigation Intervention. Herrman, D., Papadimitriou, C., Green, B., et al.[2022]

The Our Peers-Empowerment and Navigational Supports (OP-ENS) program is a 12-month peer health navigator intervention designed specifically for Medicaid beneficiaries with physical disabilities in Chicago, aiming to improve access to healthcare services.

Developed through collaboration with disability rights leaders and healthcare researchers, OP-ENS utilizes a structured approach to identify barriers and set goals, demonstrating a community-directed method to address health disparities faced by people with disabilities.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Our Peers-Empowerment and Navigational Support (OP-ENS): Development of a Peer Health Navigator Intervention to Support Medicaid Beneficiaries With Physical Disabilities. Magasi, S., Papadimitriou, C., Panko Reis, J., et al.[2021]

The study found that 4.2% of community-dwelling adults reported harmful adverse events in healthcare, primarily due to medication errors (45.5%) and misdiagnosis (25.6%), indicating a need for improved safety measures.

Self-reported harmful events were more common among individuals who had been hospitalized recently and those with lower incomes, suggesting that targeted interventions may be necessary for these vulnerable groups.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Self-reported adverse events in health care that cause harm: a population-based survey. Adams, RJ., Tucker, G., Price, K., et al.[2020]

A consensus workshop with 31 healthcare professionals identified and ranked common adverse events in community care, highlighting the need for better understanding of how these events affect care quality.

The workshop emphasized the importance of further research to establish standardized definitions of adverse events and to prioritize research questions that can improve patient safety in community care settings.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Adverse events in community care: developing a research agenda. Masotti, P., Green, M., Shortt, S., et al.[2022]

A symposium with 31 healthcare professionals highlighted that preventing adverse events in community care requires a multi-faceted approach involving policy changes at various levels, including system integration and improved communication among providers.

Key recommendations from the symposium include prioritizing education for clinicians and caregivers, enhancing organizational culture, and leveraging technology to improve patient safety and reduce adverse events.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Adverse events in community care: implications for practice, policy and research. Masotti, P., Green, M., McColl, MA.[2019]

References

1. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Relationships at Work: Integrating the Perspectives of Disability Partners to Enhance a Peer Navigation Intervention. [2022]

2. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Our Peers-Empowerment and Navigational Support (OP-ENS): Development of a Peer Health Navigator Intervention to Support Medicaid Beneficiaries With Physical Disabilities. [2021]

3. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Consumer evaluation of a disability care coordination organization. [2019]

4. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effectiveness of peer-delivered Center for Independent Living supports for individuals with psychiatric disabilities: A randomized, controlled trial. [2022]

5. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Developing and Evaluating a Quality Improvement Intervention to Facilitate Patient Navigation in the Accountable Health Communities Model. [2021]

6. Australia pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Self-reported adverse events in health care that cause harm: a population-based survey. [2020]

7. Canada pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Adverse events in community care: developing a research agenda. [2022]

8. Canada pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Adverse events in community care: implications for practice, policy and research. [2019]

9. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

[Adverse drug effects in the community pharmacy]. [2015]

10. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Identifying Adverse Drug Events in Older Community-Dwelling Patients. [2020]

11. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Partners in policymaking: the first five years. [2014]

12. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Peer Support Interventions in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation: A Framework to Advance the Field. [2022]