Intensive Remote Onboarding to Improve Digital Health Access Among Safety-Net Patients During a Pandemic: An...

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated disparities in digital health access critical to care delivery. San Francisco Health Network aimed to enroll safety-net patients onto a patient portal with a remote onboarding workflow. Methods: We used a standardized workflow to assess interest in enrollment and provide technical support. Calls from December 2020 to February 2021 were to English-speaking adults with enrollment codes. Outreach expanded March-June 2021 to Spanish speakers and patients without codes after an updated workflow enabled video identity verification and provision of new codes. Results: Of 274 eligible patients, 49% (78/160) of those called were reached. While 62% (48/78) were interested, 20% ultimately enrolled. Barriers included lack of smart devices, internet, and familiarity with videoconferencing. Discussion: Safety-net patients have high interest in portals but experienced obstacles to enrollment, despite intensive remote support. Health systems must recognize portals as central to patient care and devote additional resources to inclusive onboarding.