Cuida Mama
A patient tracking and navigation program for early diagnosis and quality treatment of breast cancer in the SUS (Brazilian Unified Health System).
Breast cancer is the type that most affects women worldwide and has the highest mortality rate in Brazil. According to forecasts by INCA, the National Cancer Institute, around 73,000 women will be diagnosed with the disease in the country between 2023 and 2025. A large proportion of women diagnosed with breast cancer arrive for treatment at an advanced stage, reducing the chances of cure and survival rates for patients and increasing the cost of treatment, both for the patient and for the public health system (SUS).
In this context, the CuidaMama Project was launched in 2020 with the aim of strengthening early diagnosis and timely access to breast cancer treatment in the SUS through solutions involving primary care (UBS), secondary care (outpatient clinics and specialized clinics), and tertiary care (cancer hospitals) health facilities.
Conceived by Protea Institute in 2020 and carried out in partnership with Roche, Instituto Devive, and Daiichi-Sankyo, the CuidaMama Project operates in line with the National Cancer Prevention and Control Policy within the Unified Health System (SUS) and the National Navigation Program for People Diagnosed with Cancer, with the aim of strengthening breast cancer screening for women and implementing patient navigation throughout the SUS user's journey.
Our Theory of Change
Reduction in mortality rates due to diagnosis of advanced-stage breast cancer
Reducing the time to diagnosis and treatment breast cancer
Create a replicable, scalable, and sustainable program to improve and reduce the time required for screening, diagnosis, and referral for treatment of breast cancer patients.
Strengthen breast cancer screening for women, raise public awaren about breast cancer and improve care and referral for women with breast cancer across different levels of health care.
Care Line
Promotion and management of integrated care, with specific flows and protocols for each level of care and clear responsibilities for the professionals involved in patient care.
Pacient Navigation
Patient navigation processes for breast cancer, from screening to discharge from the follow-up phase, aimed at guiding, monitoring, and collecting patient data.
Compass system
Programming and implementation of a navigation system for the tracking, diagnosis, and treatment phases, aimed at prioritizing, monitoring, and referring suspected patients.
Technical instruments
Development, validation, and dissemination of Care Line materials, with workflows and protocols for Primary Care.
Compass system
Validação, adaptação e integração do Sistema Bússola via API com sistemas municipais.
Teaching materials
Donation of educational and communication materials for primary care facilities.
Training for Managers, Multipliers, and Leaders
On-site and online training and instruction for Multiplier Managers and Primary Care Leaders for implementation in UBSs.
What is patient navigation?
Patient navigation (PN) is a process in which an individual guides people diagnosed with or suspected of having a chronic disease and helps them “navigate” the healthcare system and services.² It is a widely promoted approach to increase the likelihood that patients will effectively adhere to the recommended treatment by reducing socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic barriers to care.
¹Panorama do Câncer. ²Freeman, Rodrigues, 2011; Freeman 2012
What role does the Compass System play in patient navigation?
The Compass System is a digital tool created by CuidaMama that promotes patient navigation through alerts and active search actions, monitoring of scheduling and conducting consultations and exams, referring patients to specialized levels, and recording clinical outcomes, using data essential to navigation and automated data fed by municipal health systems.
CuidaMama Pilot Project - Cotia, São Paulo, and Women's Hospital
Between 2021 and 2024, the CuidaMama Project conducted a pilot project with the goal of designing and implementing specific solutions for the three levels of healthcare (primary, secondary, and tertiary) to improve the end-to-end journey of breast cancer patients in the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS).Ao total, o CuidaMama In total, CuidaMama resulted in the creation of six solutions and 20 protocols for breast cancer throughout the patient's journey, in addition to the development and implementation of the Compass System for the three levels of care.
Mammography screening
- 81% de aumento no número total de mamografias realizadas pelas UBS CuidaMama.
- Maior número de mamografias realizadas pelas UBS CuidaMama em todos os trimestres após a implementação do projeto, em comparação com os mesmos trimestres dos anos anteriores ao projeto.
- Maior distribuição das mamografias entre os 4 trimestres do ano, diminuindo a dependência e sobrecarga de exames no período da Campanha Outubro Rosa.
- 56% de aumento no número de mulheres dentro do rastreamento mamográfico das UBS CuidaMama.
- 8,4 pontos percentuais de aumento na taxa de cobertura para mulheres 40-69 anos nas UBS Piloto.
- 10,3 pontos percentuais de aumento na taxa de cobertura para mulheres 50-69 anos nas UBS Piloto.
Suspicions and referrals
- 171% de aumento no número de Bi-Rads suspeitos (4, 5 e 6).
- 8% de aumento no número de pacientes encaminhadas para Atenção Terciária para câncer de mama.
30-Day Law
- 16 pontos percentuais de aumento na proporção de pacientes receberam o diagnóstico em até 30 dias.
- Aumento do número de mulheres com dados coletados para a Lei dos 30 Dias em 11x.
60-Day Law
- 5 pontos percentuais de aumento na proporção de pacientes que iniciaram o tratamento em até 60 dias.
- Aumento do número de mulheres com dados coletados para a Lei dos 60 Dias em mais de 6x.
Construção de Linha de Cuidados, Implementação de Navegação de Pacientes e do Sistema Bússola no Hospital da Mulher – potencial de impactar a jornada de cuidado de mulheres com câncer de mama de diferentes municípios.
