Sarah Knopp, Founder of Vivacuri, shared on LinkedIn:
“Patients Know Where the System Breaks.
No one asks us how to fix it.
‘We talk about patient engagement like its a courtesy. The data says it’s a strategy.’
- In cancer care: In a large study of older adults with cancer, those supported by lay navigators had Medicare costs fall more than those of matched patients without navigation, adding up to millions of dollars a year across one network.
- Fewer crises: The same navigated patients saw larger drops in ER visits, hospitalizations and ICU admissions.
- In research: A Clinical Trials Transformation Initiative model found that a modest investment in patient engagement, if it avoids one protocol amendment and improves enrollment and retention, can return many times that investment for a typical cancer drug program.
- The common thread: Patients know where the system breaks. When were invited in early, everyone saves time, money and suffering.
As a Health Care Advocate, Coach and Mentor, I see this every week.
The question isn’t whether we can afford to involve patients. Its whether we can afford not to so.”
You can also read: WCC 2026 Highlights Common Sense Oncology and the Future of Patient-Centered Cancer Care
