Digital healthcare equity in primary care: implementing an integrated digital health navigator. (16th February 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Rodriguez, Jorge Alberto; Charles, Jean-Pierre; Bates, David W; Lyles, Courtney; Southworth, Bonnie; Samal, Lipika
• Is Part Of: Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association. Volume 30:Number 5(2023)
• Page Start: 965
• Page End: 970
• Publication Date: 2023-02-16
• Subjects: digital equity -- health disparities -- digital literacy -- digital divide -- primary care; Medical informatics -- Periodicals; Information Services -- Periodicals; Medical Informatics -- Periodicals; Médecine -- Informatique -- Périodiques; Informatica; Geneeskunde; Informatique médicale; Computer network resources; Electronic journals; 610.285
• DOI: 10.1093/jamia/ocad015
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1067-5027

Abstract

Abstract: The 21st Century Cures Act and the rise of telemedicine led to renewed focus on patient portals. However, portal use disparities persist and are in part driven by limited digital literacy. To address digital disparities in primary care, we implemented an integrated digital health navigator program supporting portal use among patients with type II diabetes. During our pilot, we were able to enroll 121 (30.9%) patients onto the portal. Of newly enrolled or trained patients, 75 (62.0%) were Black, 13 (10.7%) were White, 23 (19.0%) were Hispanic/Latinx, 4 (3.3%) were Asian, 3 (2.5%) were of another race or ethnicity, and 3 (2.5%) had missing data. Our overall portal enrollment for clinic patients with type II diabetes increased for Hispanic/Latinx patients from 30% to 42% and Black patients from 49% to 61%. We used the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research to understand key implementation components. Using our approach, other clinics can implement an integrated digital health navigator to support patient portal use.