Digital Navigator
A digital navigator is a person who helps individuals develop and improve digital literacy skills to navigate technology effectively. They serve as guides and educators for individuals who are seeking increased utilization of technology and/or lack access to digital resources. Digital navigators work with diverse communities. Their role involves teaching basic computer skills, helping people access online services like healthcare portals, explaining how to use smartphones and apps, and providing ongoing support as people build confidence with technology.
Some tasks of the Digital Navigator include:
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Suggesting safe and healthy apps for patients
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Inputting custom surveys and custom content for each patient as prescribed by the clinician
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Monitoring app functionality and data quality
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The goal of the Digital Navigator program is to bridge the digital divide by ensuring that everyone can participate in an increasingly digital world, whether that’s for employment opportunities, accessing essential services, staying connected with family, or managing daily tasks online. As a digital navigator, you will learn to combine technical knowledge with humanity and cultural sensitivity, recognizing that technology barriers often intersect with other challenges people face. You focus on practical, hands-on learning that meets people where they are in their digital journey.
Ongoing Collaborations
Relevant Publications
2025
Torous, J., & Greenberg, W. (2025). Large Language Models and Artificial Intelligence in Psychiatry Medical Education: Augmenting But Not Replacing Best Practices. Academic psychiatry : the journal of the American Association of Directors of Psychiatric Residency Training and the Association for Academic Psychiatry, 49(1), 22–24. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40596-024-01996-6
2024
Burns J, Chen K, Flathers M, Currey D, Macrynikola N, Vaidyam A, Langholm C, Barnett I, Byun A, Lane E, Torous J.Transforming Digital Phenotyping Raw Data Into Actionable Biomarkers, Quality Metrics, and Data Visualizations Using Cortex Software Package: Tutorial. J Med Internet Res 2024;26:e58502. URL: https://www.jmir.org/2024/1/e58502. DOI: 10.2196/58502
Chen, K., Huang, J.J. & Torous, J. Hybrid care in mental health: a framework for understanding care, research, and future opportunities. NPP—Digit Psychiatry Neurosci 2, 16 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44277-024-00016-7
Chen, K., Lane, E., Burns, J., Macrynikola, N., Chang, S., & Torous, J. (2024). The Digital Navigator: Standardizing Human Technology Support in App-Integrated Clinical Care. Telemedicine and E-Health, 30(7), e1963–e1970. https://doi.org/10.1089/tmj.2024.0023
2023
Chang S, Gray L, Torous J. Smartphone app engagement and clinical outcomes in a hybrid clinic. Psychiatry Res. 2023 Jan;319:115015. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2022.115015. Epub 2022 Dec 18. PMID: 36549096.
King, D.R., Emerson, M.R., Tartaglia, J. et al. Methods for Navigating the Mobile Mental Health App Landscape for Clinical Use. Curr Treat Options Psych 10, 72–86 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40501-023-00288-4
Westheimer JL, Moukaddam N, Lindsay JA, Sabharwal A, Najafi B, Iacobelli PA, Boland RJ, Patriquin MA. Technology Implementation for Mental Health End Users: A Model to Guide Digital Transformation for Inpatient Mental Health Professionals
JMIR Ment Health 2023;10:e40429. https://mental.jmir.org/2023/1/e40429
2022
Emerson, M. R., Buckland, S., Lawlor, M. A., Dinkel, D., Johnson, D. J., Mickles, M. S., Fok, L., & Watanabe-Galloway, S. (2022). Addressing and evaluating health literacy in mHealth: a scoping review. mHealth, 8, 33. https://doi.org/10.21037/mhealth-22-11
2021
Lagan, S., Emerson, M. R., King, D., Matwin, S., Chan, S. R., Proctor, S., … Torous, J. (2021). Mental Health App Evaluation: Updating the American Psychiatric Association’s Framework Through a Stakeholder-Engaged Workshop. Psychiatric Services, 72(9), 1095–1098. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.202000663
Rauseo-Ricupero N, Henson P, Agate-Mays M, Torous J. Case studies from the digital clinic: integrating digital phenotyping and clinical practice into today's world. Int Rev Psychiatry. 2021 Jun;33(4):394-403. doi: 10.1080/09540261.2020.1859465. Epub 2021 Apr 1. PMID: 33792463.
Rodriguez-Villa E, Rozatkar AR, Kumar M, et al. Cross cultural and global uses of a digital mental health app: results of focus groups with clinicians, patients and family members in India and the United States. Global Mental Health. 2021;8:e30. doi:10.1017/gmh.2021.28
2020
Lagan, S., Aquino, P., Emerson, M.R. et al. Actionable health app evaluation: translating expert frameworks into objective metrics. npj Digit. Med. 3, 100 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-020-00312-4
2019
Naslund JA, Gonsalves PP, Gruebner O, Pendse SR, Smith SL, Sharma A, Raviola G. Digital Innovations for Global Mental Health: Opportunities for Data Science, Task Sharing, and Early Intervention. Curr Treat Options Psychiatry. 2019 Dec;6(4):337-351. doi: 10.1007/s40501-019-00186-8. Epub 2019 Sep 7. PMID: 32457823; PMCID: PMC7250369.