Vision and Core Beliefs

Vision

Navigating Cancerʼs vision is to empower cancer patients to navigate their best care. Navigating Cancer is a free website specifically for cancer patients and their supporters, offering tools and authoritative cancer resources that empower patients to take control of their health and partner more closely with their physicians, support network and other like patients. At Navigating Cancer, patients can create and manage a secure patient health record, keep a daily record of their well being and side effects, and create summary reports that can be shared with their healthcare team to receive the best care. Navigating Cancer also provides a forum for patients to connect with other cancer patients to learn and share from their experiences and to keep their support network updated on their journey.

Core Beliefs

• You should have a copy of your own health information. With a cancer diagnosis, you will see a number of healthcare providers in a variety of settings and locations. Some of the time, your providers might not have all the information about your care. You should know your treatments, your lab results, and the basic information for your care. This will help you communicate more effectively with your healthcare team. When you finish treatment, ask for a treatment record summary and follow up information so you know what to expect and how to communicate more effectively with your primary care physician.
• An engaged partnership with your healthcare team leads to your best care. Studies demonstrate that time with your physicians is one of the most important interactions in your care and yet very limited in duration. To ensure that you receive the very best care, we believe that you should plan for your appointments, know the questions you want to ask and help your physician understand what you are experiencing so they can provide you the best care.
• Information is empowering. Whether it’s basic information about your disease, information from others about their experiences or knowledge on the next step in your journey, information empowers you. The right information can help you plan the questions you want to ask your doctor, help you make better decisions, and can help you gather the strength and support you will need in the next phase of your cancer journey.
• Sharing with purpose provides strength. You are learning and gaining experiences each and every day. If you could meet someone who’s experienced what you are about to, their perspectives and insights may be invaluable to you. Sharing your experience and learning with others can provide encouragement, support and strength. We encourage you to learn from others and share what you can to help others as well.
• You should have support! You need strength to take care of yourself and to fight your cancer diagnosis. As hard as it is and as courageous as we find cancer patients to be, we believe that you should receive support and encouragement from others, whether it’s your family and friends or a supporter that you meet on Navigating Cancer.
• You decide what to share. Navigating Cancer takes your privacy very seriously and we have given you control over what personal information you choose to share and with whom. We will never, ever share your personal information without your permission. Your health and treatment records are secured with SSL to protect the information you submit on our site, and your treatment record information can only be accessed by you, or a caregiver if you designate. Please review our Privacy Policy for further information.