Any mental health practice can use digital health and digital literacy to enhance care for serious mental illness.
Let us show you how. Where do you want to start?
Use this simple tool to identify digital health solutions that can help support recovery goals for people who have serious mental illness (SMI). Get practical solutions that help foster independence, promote self-care, reduce stress, and more.
It is a person's ability to find, evaluate, navigate, understand, and use technology.
Because there are digital ways to directly connect with and support the mental health of every person.
of U.S. adults own
a mobile phone
of Americans have used digital devices or the internet to communicate with a doctor or doctor's office
*In the last 12 months
Here are a few examples of digital literacy at work in mental health settings. Can an individual who receives care:
of Americans agree that it look a lot of effort to get what they needed from their most recent search for information about health or medical topics
of Americans would be willing to share health data from wearables devices with their health care providers
Digital literacy skills can help address health disparities. When people who have SMI have better digital skills, you can use more digital health solutions to support their care and recovery.
Think about telehealth, for example. Mental health clinicians can use telehealth to deliver care and help individuals overcome barriers such as...
Hearing, Physical, and Visual Impairments
Isolation
Stigma
Geographic Distance
Employment Status
of people who have SMI live in rural areas
43% of people who have SMI are unemployed or out of the workforce
It's simple. If someone has better digital literacy skills, you can use digital health tools to engage them in their own care.
Here are a few examples on how digital literacy skills lead to better engagement.
People can access online resources, self-care apps, digital communities, and more
Individuals use medication reminders, virtual appointments, and other technology that supports their care plan
People know how to keep their personal information safe
of those people say they used a health app in the last year
of Americans say they have a mobile health app on their device
Busting some myths about digital health.
People who have SMI do not have devices to access digital health solutions
86% of people who have SMI use a mobile phone
People who receive care via telehealth think that it is not effective or prefer in-person care
Individuals often report comparable satisfaction between telehealth and in-person care
Digital literacy skills are important for clinicians, practice support staff, and individuals who receive care. This helps align digital tools, data, processes, and systems to optimize care and support. So who can teach all those groups all the skills they need?
A team member who is able to facilitate and implement technology into care.
There is published evidence on how Digital Health Navigators can help promote clinical care and integrate technology into practice.
Read more about the DHN Role
There is an easy-to-use online curriculum from SMI Adviser that teaches all the basic tools and skills needed in the Digital Health Navigator role.
Learn About the Digital Health Navigator TrainingThis training helps your practice embrace technology as a tool to support mental health recovery. Anyone can complete the online training whenever their schedule allows.
Self-paced
Easy to use
Six modules
Skills quizzes
