The Role of Digital Navigators in Promoting Clinical Care and Technology Integration into Practice

Wisniewski, Hannah; Gorrindo, Tristan; Rauseo-Ricupero, Natali; Hilty, Don; Torous, John

doi:10.1159/000510144

Cited by 83 publications

(75 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…The MHCC has also developed an implementation toolkit to support organizations in their digital mental health intervention implementations [54]. Furthermore, there has been discussion regarding a role of a "digital navigator" for integrating the use of technology in practice [55].…”

Section: Principal Findingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Digital Interventions to Support Population Mental Health in Canada During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Rapid Review

Strudwick¹,

Sockalingam²,

Kassam³

et al. 2021

JMIR Ment Health

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Background The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a number of negative health related consequences, including impacts on mental health. More than 22% of Canadians reported that they had felt depressed in the last week, in response to a December 2020 national survey. Given the need to physically distance during the pandemic, and the increase in demand for mental health services, digital interventions that support mental health and wellness may be beneficial. Objective The purpose of this research was to identify digital interventions that could be used to support the mental health of the Canadian general population during the COVID-19 pandemic. The objectives were to identify (1) the populations these interventions were developed for, inclusive of exploring areas of equity such as socioeconomic status, sex/gender, race/ethnicity and culture, and relevance to Indigenous peoples and communities; (2) the effect of the interventions; and (3) any barriers or facilitators to the use of the intervention. Methods This study was completed using a Cochrane Rapid Review methodology. A search of Embase, PsycInfo, Medline, and Web of Science, along with Google, Million Short, and popular mobile app libraries, was conducted. Two screeners were involved in applying inclusion criteria using Covidence software. Academic articles and mobile apps identified were screened using the Standard Quality Assessment Criteria for Evaluating Primary Research Papers from a Variety of Fields resource, the American Psychiatric Association App Evaluation Framework, and the Mental Health Commission of Canada’s guidance on app assessment and selection. Results A total of 31 mobile apps and 114 web-based resources (eg, telemedicine, virtual peer support groups, discussion forums, etc) that could be used to support the mental health of the Canadian population during the pandemic were identified. These resources have been listed on a publicly available website along with search tags that may help an individual make a suitable selection. Variability exists in the populations that the interventions were developed for, and little assessment has been done with regard to areas of equity. The effect of the interventions was not reported for all those identified in this synthesis; however, for those that did report the effect, it was shown that they were effective in the context that they were used. A number of barriers and facilitators to using these interventions were identified, such as access, cost, and connectivity. Conclusions A number of digital interventions that could support population mental health in Canada during the global COVID-19 pandemic were identified, indicating that individuals have several options to choose from. These interventions vary in their purpose, approach, design, cost, and targeted user group. While some research and digital interventions addressed equity-related considerations, more research and focused attention should be given to this area.

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Section: Principal Findingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Digital Interventions to Support Population Mental Health in Canada During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Rapid Review

Strudwick¹,

Sockalingam²,

Kassam³

et al. 2021

JMIR Ment Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Clinicians and patients can tailor app features to current clinical needs, ensuring that care is driven by shared decision making rather than a “one-size-fits-all” approach. This customization process is facilitated by a new team member called the digital navigator [ 23 , 24 ]. The concept of a digital navigator is not novel; the role of clinical technology specialists [ 25 , 26 ] has been well outlined and refers to patient-facing team members who help patients with technology needs.…”

Section: Implementation: Two Real-world Examplesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The digital navigator role is related and also includes interfacing with the clinical team and involves three core roles: (1) assisting in evidence-based app selection to match each clinical case, (2) helping patients troubleshoot technology needs, and (3) distilling patient app data into clinically meaningful summaries [ 24 ]. Training for digital navigators is offered through a 10-h curriculum that covers five core modules including the following: (1) core smartphone skills, (2) basic technology troubleshooting, (3) app evaluation, (4) clinical terminology and data, and (5) engagement techniques [ 23 ].…”

Section: Implementation: Two Real-world Examplesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Digital Clinics and Mobile Technology Implementation for Mental Health Care

Connolly

Kuhn

Possemato

et al. 2021

Curr Psychiatry Rep

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Purpose of Review Interest in digital mental health, especially smartphone apps, has expanded in light of limited access to mental health services and the need for remote care during COVID-19. Digital clinics, in which apps are blended into routine care, offer a potential solution to common implementation challenges including low user engagement and lack of clinical integration of apps. Recent Findings While the number of mental health apps available in commercial marketplaces continues to rise, there are few examples of successful implementation of these apps into care settings. We review one example of a digital clinic created within an academic medical center and another within the Department of Veterans Affairs. We then discuss how implementation science can inform new efforts to effectively integrate mental health technologies across diverse use cases. Summary Integrating mental health apps into care settings is feasible but requires careful attention to multiple domains that will influence implementation success, including characteristics of the innovation (e.g., utility and complexity of the app), the recipients of the technology (e.g., patients and clinicians), and context (e.g., healthcare system buy-in, reimbursement, and regulatory policies). Examples of effective facilitation strategies that can be utilized to improve implementation efforts include co-production of technology involving all end users, specialized trainings for staff and patients, creation of new team members to aid in app usage (e.g., digital navigators), and re-design of clinical workflows.

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“…A qualitative study from Keogh et al [10] described how this evidence can be most effectively communicated to clinicians. The emerging role of “digital navigators” [11] showed one approach to bringing digital health technologies into clinical care, and Goldsack and Zanetti [12] expanded on this theme to discuss how digital health technologies are demanding and driving broader workforce development.…”

Section: Special Issuementioning

confidence: 99%