Digital Navigators for Acceptance and Competence Development with Mental Health Apps (DigiNavi)

Mental Health Condition and Digital Treatment Options

The treatment of mental health condition (e.g., in psychotherapy) is often associated with long waiting times. Mental health apps can improve mental health and bridge these waiting times. However, they are currently used by only a small portion of patients and healthcare professionals in Germany. The use of digital navigators, which are designed to assist patients and healthcare providers in navigating the digital health landscape, can help close this gap in care.

What are so-called “Digitale Gesundheitsanwendungen” (DiGAs)?

In Germany, there are a number of tested and CE-certified digital therapeutics, mental health apps and online programs that can assist in the management of mental or physical health issues, including depression, anxiety disorders, and sleep problems. Such applications are typically readily accessible via smartphones or computers.

The Role and Responsibilities of Digital Navigators

Digital navigators are professionals (e.g., medical assistants) who have undergone specialized training and are therefore able to provide support to patients and healthcare professionals in selecting and using mental health apps. Digital navigators assist in the identification of appropriate apps, facilitate their installation, and aid with their effective use. They are available to both patients and healthcare professionals for queries and technical issues, providing ongoing support. Although digital navigators are already established in the United States, there is currently no comparable role in the German healthcare system.

Figure 1. Role and responsibilities of digital navigators (adapted from Torous et al.)

About DigiNavi

DigiNavi is a project at the Center for Health Services Research at the Brandenburg Medical School (MHB; duration: 07/2024 - 07/2025). DigiNavi is an acronym that stands for "Digital Navigators for Acceptance and Competence Development with Mental Health Apps." The DigiNavi study will pilot and evaluate the use of digital navigators in psychiatric and primary care in Germany for the first time. The DigiNavi study is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Health and is conducted in collaboration with Harvard Medical School (Boston, USA), the Technical University of Braunschweig (TU Braunschweig), and the Hannover Medical School (MHH). Furthermore, DigiNavi is part of the working group at MHB that is dedicated to the digitisation of psychiatric care (IAG Mental Health Policy & Digitisation).

The objective of this study is to train digital navigators and implement them within a pilot project in outpatient psychiatric and primary care. Initially, the original training manual for digital navigators (Harvard Digital Navigator Training) will be adapted for use in the German healthcare system through a participatory process. Feedback and needs from patients and healthcare providers will form the basis for developing a German manual. Subsequently, the digital navigators will be trained by the study team and integrated into primary care and psychiatric teams. In order to facilitate the work of digital navigators, a website (DiGAnavigator.de / mindapps.org) is being developed which will present and catalog the DiGAs and other mental health apps in a clear and accessible manner.

As part of the accompanying research, study participants will be asked about their expectations, opinions, perceived effects, and barriers to the implementation of digital navigators. Furthermore, the study will investigate whether the implementation of digital navigators impacts the mental health of participants, as well as their digital and technical competence and digital health literacy. The study will include patients, healthcare providers, and digital navigators themselves. A mixed methods approach will be employed during data collection at the participating study centers, with qualitative and quantitative methods being combined.

The results are expected to provide insights into the opportunities, challenges, and attitudes of users towards digital navigators. The pilot phase will enable the derivation of factors for successful implementation in Germany. Consequently, the study aspires to enhance the care of underprivileged patient populations, facilitate the use of DiGAs, and fortify the digital health literacy of patients, healthcare providers, and navigators.

The study has been registered with the German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS). Further details regarding the study design can be found on the DRKS homepage.

Publications

Below you find an overview of the publications that have been produced so far in connection with digital navigators within the working group "Mental Health Policy & Digitization":

[to be added soon]

Study Centers

The study will be conducted in the following general practices and psychiatric outpatient clinics:

Team and contact

Network and Project Partners

Legal Notice

Dr. Julian Schwarz
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy
Center for Mental Health
Immanuel Hospital Rüdersdorf
University Hospital of the Brandenburg Medical School
Seebad 82/83, 15562 Rüdersdorf
GERMANY

Phone: 033638 83-561
Mail: julian.schwarz@mhb-fontane.de