Working towards a ready to implement digital literacy program

Abstract

Background As healthcare continues to expand online and digital care offerings multiply, the importance of digital inclusion and equity is now better recognized. Yet despite impressive regional grassroots efforts, today there remain few readily deployable programs designed to support patient digital literacy. Methods Digital Outreach for Obtaining Resources and Skills (DOORs) is one such digital literacy program that has evolved over the last 5 years to meet the rising demand. Through community partnerships, the DOORs curriculum and delivery has been updated to make the program more accessible and applicable as Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) changes healthcare. Participants’ experience in the most updated iteration of DOORS was assessed through surveys and semi-structured interviews. Results Improvements to DOORs include an updated DOORs curriculum, updated facilitator manual, an online platform with a learning management system, standardized training, patient-facing educational handouts, consolidation of all DOORs materials into a single package that is ready to be shared with other groups, implementation of a single-session intervention model, and Spanish translation. Participants reported improved confidence on 72% of the digital skills assessed. Thematic analysis resulted in three themes: awareness of divide, patient-centered design, and expanded skills and confidence. Conclusions Combined, these changes and participant outcomes better position DOORS to meet the rising need for digital literacy and offers a scalable model for teams across the world.