Objective
The Kentucky Health Center Network (KHCN) has a Health Center Controlled Network (HCCN) grant objective from the Bureau of Primary Health Care to increase the number of member organizations with formal programs that help patients access and use digital health tools. However, limited staffing and the wide range of available digital tools have led many health centers to develop inconsistent, homegrown solutions without standardized training. Existing digital health training options often fall short of meeting the practical, day-to-day needs of community health centers.
To address these challenges and achieve the grant objective, KHCN reviewed multiple digital health navigator training programs and selected the Lift Wellness curriculum by DigitalLIFT (formerly Community Tech Network). This digital navigator training is a 12–15-hour asynchronous program delivered via a Learning Management System (LMS). Training modules included:
- Digital Navigators Overview
- Digital Equity and Healthcare
- Teaching Internet Safety and Responsibility
- LIFT Navigators
- Shadowing Digital Navigation
- Resource Packages
- Windows Advanced Curriculum
Pilot Program Overview
KHCN offered the training at no cost to participants through KHCN’s HCCN Grant Funding. We recruited Community Health Workers (CHWs) due to their direct patient engagement and trusted role in addressing social and health needs. The pilot included an orientation meeting, course completion, and individual debrief interviews.
Seven participants from five KHCN member organizations completed the pilot:
- HealthFirst Bluegrass
- Health First Community Health Center
- Juniper Health
- Primary Plus
- Sterling Health Solutions
