Welcome Oncology Patient and Nurse Navigators!
Drop by our booth and see the Bag It Bag in person.
WHO WE ARE
Bag It Cancer is a nonprofit that has provided nearly 100,000 newly-diagnosed cancer patients with a Bag It resource Bag—and at no cost to the patients. The Bag It resources help anyone with any type of cancer and include a new Spanish Bicultural Bag.
Make Educating & Empowering Your Patients Easier
Bag It Cancer has compiled trustworthy tools to your help patients stay organized and advocate for themselves. Plus, our bags can help your practice meet patient education requirements. Benefits for your practice include:
- My Companion Guidebook features tabbed sections for you to personalize with each patient’s cancer information and medical records
- Potential for improved patient adherence to treatment/engagement in their care
- Materials can be co-branded/customized for your practice
- Helps your practice meet EOM, QOPI, and CoC guidelines and patient education requirements
- The most up-to-date and respected patient resources available today, including publications and content from AICR, ASC, NCCN, NCCS, NCI, and Triage Cancer.
We believe that patient education, along with support for their caregivers and advocates, leads to better outcomes. Put these valuable resources into your patients’ hands without putting a strain on your practice’s own resources. Empower your patients—Order Bag It Bags today.
Questions? Reach out to Joyce Palasek at joyce@bagitcancer.org or 520.348.3310.
Order Bag It Bags for Your Practice
As an AONN Conference Attendee, you can order a free sample bag, which will include the My Companion Guidebook and all the resources. Email: Joyce@BagItCancer.org
Place your first order by 2/28/25 and receive 10% off the first order. (Code AONN24)
Choose From Two Bag It Bags
English Bag
Current, Comprehensive, and Individualized
Our goal is to empower patients through knowledge and tools to support them as they navigate their cancer experience. From initial diagnosis, throughout treatment, and during all phases of survivorship, the Bag It Bag guides patients on how to talk to their healthcare providers, ask the right questions and serve as the most important advocate on their care team
The Bag includes:
My Companion Guidebook, designed for you to personalize for each patient, there are dedicated sections for providers to add their pertinent cancer details, treatments and treatment, copies of their reports, scans and more before sitting down to review it with them. Patients and their families can then continue to store their documents and keep track of their medical information, appointments, and other details using the handy forms, tools and resource lists in the guidebook.
Paths to Survivorship, published by Bag It, this booklet combines relevant and requested content from the most respected cancer authorities in a single, easy-to-navigate publication. A wide variety of topics are covered in this go to guide that’s designed to be a handy reference every step of the way.
Taking Time, from the National Cancer Institute, discusses the many emotions that come with having cancer, how it can affect relationships, and how to communicate with others.
CancerResource: Living Well with Cancer and Beyond, from the American Institute for Cancer Research, provides advice on nutrition and cancer, guidance on eating well during and after treatment plus suggestions for managing common eating difficulties and side effects of treatment.
Caring for the Caregiver from the National Cancer Institute, provides ways caregivers, friends and family members can take care of themselves while caring for someone with cancer.
“I have seen the RELIEF AND GRATITUDE WASH OVER
PATIENTS’ FACES as we go over the Bag and how to utilize
it in their cancer journey.”
– Janice Turner, RN, BHCN, oncology navigator
Spanish Bicultural Bag
Researched and Tailored for
Latino and Hispanic Communities
The Spanish Bicultural Bag It Bag is carefully crafted to acknowledge how cultural nuances, values, beliefs and preferences can affect Latino and Hispanic individuals and their families facing cancer. By tailoring the content to address these cultural factors, the information resonates more deeply and is perceived as relevant and meaningful. This culturally-sensitive approach not only appreciates and respects the unique backgrounds of these communities but also enhances patient engagement, comprehension and adherence to treatment which can contribute to improved health outcomes and patient satisfaction.
During the development of the Spanish Bicultural Bag It Bag, we collaborated with healthcare providers and other stakeholders to deliver a patient-centered resource that meets the specific challenges of Latino and Hispanic patients. While incorporating all the topics covered in the English version, this edition features a different layout and presentation of the booklets.
Here are some themes that this unique Bag addresses:
- Family matters—Explores the role of family support networks in coping with cancer and the cultural significance of familial relationships and dynamics.
- Misconceptions about cancer outcomes—Provides accurate information about cancer causes and outcomes commonly misunderstood in the Latino and Hispanic communities, while also acknowledging the prevalence of cancer survivorship.
- Clinical trials and genetic testing—Addresses barriers and misconceptions regarding clinical trials and genetic testing, empowering patients to make informed decisions and advocate for their own participation when appropriate.
- Use of home/natural remedies—Explores traditional home remedies and natural healing practices commonly used in Latino and Hispanic cultures alongside evidence-based facts on their efficacy and role in cancer care.
- Palliative vs. hospice care—Clarifies common misunderstandings about palliative and hospice care. Explores how the holistic nature of palliative care can support and benefit the entire family from the day of diagnosis.
- Communication with healthcare providers—Focuses on effective communication strategies with healthcare providers to build good relationships and establish trust while ensuring patients' needs and preferences are expressed and understood. Advocates for the use of medical interpreters to overcome language barriers and ensure the best care possible.
Bag It Cancer Resource Center
Information is power--if it's the right information.
Bag It’s Resource Center—helpful for your patients and your practice—can serve as their first stop for reliable, respected, researched and updated knowledge available on a wide array of topics related to cancer. Hundreds of vetted organizations updated continuously, including separate pages for Resources in Spanish and by Cancer Types. Here are the topics we cover.
“When meeting patients for the first time, we often find the devastation of their new cancer diagnosis to be overwhelming. They are not sure who to turn to, or where to begin. As certified Nurse Navigators our first meeting is a cornerstone for care needs and coordination. Having the Bag It helps to introduce our ability to support and stabilize the care they need. At the same time we use it to educate them in essential ways.
Lastly, it is a place to keep things from getting misplaced, and helps keep the cancer “in its place” in their lives from the start.”
– Mary Verplank, Certified Nurse Navigator (retired)