JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

This paper presents lessons learned from the design, development, and implementation of two innovative telehealth programs developed to improve health care delivery, access to care, digital literacy, and patient outcomes: ACTIVATE and Lighthouse. These programs were developed to support providers serving underserved and vulnerable populations who lack tools and resources to support patients with chronic illness or who are isolated. These challenges were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which increased the need for resources to support vulnerable patients who could not come into a clinic in person or were isolated and lacked access to services.

Objective:

In response to the significant stressors on health care delivery created by COVID-19, CITRIS Health and partner organizations developed two telehealth solutions through a rapid co-design process. Lighthouse and ACTIVATE apply two different telehealth strategies to reach vulnerable populations.

Methods:

ACTIVATE is a comprehensive digital health pathway for community health centers that care for those who are medically underserved. ACTIVATE is an innovative, evidence-based, sustainable telehealth program, designed to benefit vulnerable populations in rural and agricultural communities in the California Central Valley who experience significant health disparities. Lighthouse focuses on connecting older adults in congregate affordable housing which are settings where residents are particularly vulnerable to isolation, lack of health care resources, and limited to no access to the internet. Lighthouse provides digital literacy training as well as access to broadband with the goal of increasing communication, engagement and access to health care.

Results:

This presentation will discuss successful design and implementation strategies as well as organizational and policy barriers to program operations.

Conclusions:

In addition to reviewing program and implementation outcomes, strategies for replication and sustainability will be discussed. While developed in response to COVID-19, the ultimate success of Lighthouse and ACTIVATE is dependent upon its successful scaling beyond the pandemic.