How Digital Navigation Can Transform Healthcare

Ever since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become ever more clear that all U.S. residents need accessible healthcare. For those who may not have broadband access at home or who struggle to navigate the increasingly complex digital tools used by our healthcare system, that accessibility becomes even more challenging. This past week, the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society released "The Digital Access Coordinator (DAC) Program Playbook," a tool for clinicians, practice staff, and hospital leaders who are interested in addressing digital literacy gaps in their patient populations through the implementation of a digital navigator program. Following the playbook's release, Benton Executive Director Dr. Revati Prasad hosted a conversation on June 17 around broadband access and healthcare with a group of experts on the subject, including the playbook's lead author—Marjorie and Charles Benton Opportunity Fund Fellow Dr. Jorge Rodriguez.