Dwyer Bridget, Mikkelson Jane, Diaz-Pacheco Valeria's, Myrick Keris Jän, Torous John
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Community Ment Health J. 2025 Sep 9. doi: 10.1007/s10597-025-01510-8.
Digital literacy, the ability of an individual to use and interact with technology, is increasingly recognized as a social determinant of health, especially for accessing healthcare today. Despite the proliferation of digital health tools, a digital divide remains concerning the ability of everyone to benefit from these digital resources, disproportionately impacting individuals with serious mental illnesses. Many existing digital literacy assessments, such as e-HEALS, SPIDER, and DHLS, identify gaps in digital literacy but do not offer actionable steps to address them. To bridge this divide, we developed the Technology Use Survey and Matching Guide, an actionable tool designed to assess digital literacy and align individuals' needs with tailored training resources through the Digital Outreach for Obtaining Resources and Skills program. Piloted with diverse populations, including individuals in inpatient psychiatric units, community health centers, and mental health clubhouses, this new scale and matching tool were able to identify knowledge gaps, address learning barriers, and enhance digital health engagement. Case studies demonstrate how targeted interventions improved functional outcomes and access to healthcare. By merging assessment with actionable education, our framework promotes digital equity and allows all individuals to engage meaningfully with technology. Future research will refine these tools and evaluate long-term outcomes.
数字素养,即个人使用技术并与之互动的能力,日益被视为健康的一个社会决定因素,在当今获取医疗保健方面尤为如此。尽管数字健康工具不断涌现,但在能否让每个人都从这些数字资源中受益方面,数字鸿沟依然存在,这对患有严重精神疾病的个体产生了不成比例的影响。许多现有的数字素养评估工具,如电子健康素养量表(e-HEALS)、数字素养评估量表(SPIDER)和数字健康素养量表(DHLS),虽能识别数字素养方面的差距,但未提供解决这些差距的可行措施。为弥合这一鸿沟,我们开发了技术使用调查与匹配指南,这是一种可行的工具,旨在通过获取资源与技能数字外展项目评估数字素养,并使个人需求与量身定制的培训资源相匹配。该新量表及匹配工具在包括住院精神科病房患者、社区卫生中心人员和心理健康俱乐部成员在内的不同人群中进行了试点,能够识别知识差距、克服学习障碍并增强对数字健康的参与度。案例研究展示了有针对性的干预措施如何改善功能结果并提高医疗保健可及性。通过将评估与可行的教育相结合,我们的框架促进了数字公平,使所有人都能有效地与技术互动。未来的研究将完善这些工具并评估长期结果。