ArticleJournal of general internal medicine2026
Bridging the Digital Divide with Digital Navigation in the California Safety Net: A Mixed-Methods Study.
Article in Journal of general internal medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- A mixed-methods study characterizing patient experiences with digital survivorship services and preferences for care at a rural cancer center.Journal of cancer survivorship : research and practice · 2026Article
- Identifying Skill and Usability Barriers to Digital Health Tool Use Among Older Adult Patients in US Safety Net Clinics: Mixed Methods Study.JMIR human factors · 2026Article
- Screening by Health Care Systems for Barriers to Patient Engagement With Digital Health Care: Cross-Sectional Survey Study.JMIR formative research · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
12 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundTelehealth use has expanded in the primary care safety net, but disparities in telehealth persist, known as the "digital divide." Digital navigation, where patients receive support to enable telehealth access, is a promising strategy, but little is known about its prevalence or implementation.
objectiveTo characterize the current digital navigation landscape of California safety-net primary care clinics and provide recommendations for digital navigation implementation strategies.
designMixed-methods study, including survey and interview components.
participantsParticipants working in California primary care safety-net settings, including individuals with roles in clinical care, administration, information technology, and patient support services. APPROACH: We developed a survey and interview guide using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). We calculated summary statistics for survey results. We conducted in-depth semi-structured interviews with a subsample of survey participants via video and analyzed transcripts using a mixed inductive-deductive approach to identify features of digital navigation implementation and themes relevant to CFIR. KEY
resultsOf 50 survey participants representing 35 practices, 80% reported their health system had implemented or attempted to implement digital navigation in some form. Qualitative analysis of 16 interviews identified five distinct digital navigation models: (1) integrated staff role, (2) information technology support, (3) dedicated digital navigator, (4) volunteer/external partners, and (5) rural access hub. Challenges to digital navigation implementation included unmet need for access to digital devices and broadband, lack of staff buy-in and digital literacy, and the lack of data-driven screening and referral programs.
conclusionsThe majority of primary care safety-net sites had some form of digital navigation, ranging from a dedicated navigator to community partnerships. Equitable digital access, a key health-related social need, can be provided through diverse digital navigation models. Ongoing advocacy for device and broadband access and reimbursement mechanisms will be critical for digital navigation implementation and sustainability.
Indexed as
Identifiers
41845090What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.