Table 1 Eligibility criteria for navigation programs

1. The program serves individuals living in their community with chronic, life-limiting illness.

2. The program is located in either a hospital or community setting.

3. The program includes dedicated staff or volunteers who provide navigation services (may be referred to as “Navigators”). As described by Valaitis et al, navigation services include: patient education, care planning, home visits, promoting coordination and continuity across health settings, and early identification of and response to health changes [36].

4. The program must be affiliated with a host organization and have some sort of governance structure and accountability.

5. The program delivers services consistent with a palliative approach to care. This is described by Touzal and Shadd: “a palliative approach exists when care simultaneously addresses whole-person needs, enhances quality of life, and acknowledges mortality. This model is applicable to care provided in any setting, by any provider, to any patient with a life-threatening illness, at any point in the illness trajectory” [35].