Mass General Brigham Understands that Digital Equity Supports Health Equity

Mass General Brigham (MGB) is a large hospital system in the greater Boston area. MGB employs more than 1,200 clinicians, who serve more than 1.25 million patients. During the COVID-19 pandemic, MGB identified disparities in patients’ access to video visits and its patient gateway. Unsurprisingly, those who were not using the patient gateway were largely members of racial and ethnic minority groups, particularly those whose primary language was not English. In response, MGB began initiatives aimed at increasing health equity and digital access. A pilot grant was launched in 2021 to begin a digital navigator program, initially targeted at enrolling people with diabetes in the patient gateway. The three-to-four-month pilot program became what is now called the Digital Access Coordinator Program, funded through MGB’s United Against Racism initiative, which began in 2022. Although navigation programs within health care systems are not uncommon, MGB’s is uniquely situated. As one of several initiatives in MGB’s United Against Racism work, the Digital Access Coordinator Program is tasked with actively working to dismantle racial disparities in health care.


Mass General Brigham Understands that Digital Equity Supports Health Equity