{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,1]],"date-time":"2026-08-01T00:43:28Z","timestamp":1785545008543,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":31,"publisher":"JMIR Publications Inc.","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JMIR Res Protoc"],"abstract":"Abstract<\/jats:title>\n \n Background<\/jats:title>\n Patient navigation is a critical component of health care delivery, facilitating connections with appropriate services. A new era of virtual navigation systems has emerged, with systems that can be accessed through websites or smartphone apps. However, it is unknown which features of these novel systems impact patient outcomes.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Objective<\/jats:title>\n The objective of this scoping review is to understand the current landscape of existing virtual navigation systems. In this review, we will determine the features of these systems, as well as the patient outcomes and accessibility barriers associated with them that have been reported in the literature.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Methods<\/jats:title>\n This review will follow the guidelines for scoping reviews outlined by the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology. This will include systems that provide recommendations for health care, mental health and addiction services, and social services. This will include systems designed for patients, caregivers, and\/or care providers. A search strategy will be used to locate both published and unpublished literature. The databases to be searched include PubMed, PsycINFO (ProQuest), Cochrane Library, Web of Science Core Collection (Clarivate), Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (EBSCO), ScienceDirect, IEEE Xplore, and ACM Digital Library. Papers will be screened and selected, and data will be extracted by 2 independent members of the research team. The extracted data will primarily focus on outcomes and features of the virtual navigation systems. This will include the information they ask of users and the content and format of the information on services they provide.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Results<\/jats:title>\n Funding for this project was received in May 2024. As of June 2026, abstract and full-text screening have been completed, data extraction is underway, and data analysis has not begun yet. Our search resulted in the retrieval of 14,461 studies that were eligible for screening. We anticipate that the full scoping review manuscript will be prepared for submission by winter 2027. Results will be presented in tabular format and accompanied by a narrative summary.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n This review will synthesize the current literature on virtual navigation systems that aim to connect patients to appropriate health care services. By identifying trends and gaps, this review will provide critical information for the development of new and innovative systems that can support health care and public health systems.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.2196\/88198","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,7]],"date-time":"2026-06-07T19:35:07Z","timestamp":1780860907000},"page":"e88198-e88198","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Features of Virtual Navigation Systems for Health Care and Social Services Associated With Patient Outcomes: Protocol for a Scoping Review"],"prefix":"10.2196","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2121-3024","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Victoria L","family":"Hossack","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1983-0816","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Fiona","family":"Inglis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0009-0482-3761","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Vera","family":"Antunes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0001-6706-3618","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nav","family":"Kaur","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3907-1995","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Wenjun","family":"Lin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7260-9956","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nirosha J","family":"Murugan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7936-0521","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nikki","family":"Shaw","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0009-7276-7319","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Teryn","family":"Bruni","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1010","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,21]]},"reference":[{"issue":"10","key":"R1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1614","DOI":"10.1158\/1055-9965.EPI-12-0982","article-title":"The origin, evolution, and principles of patient navigation","volume":"21","author":"Freeman","journal-title":"Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev"},{"issue":"1","key":"R2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"19","DOI":"10.1093\/pch\/pxy057","article-title":"Patient navigators: mapping the route toward accessibility in health care","volume":"24","author":"Rollins","journal-title":"Paediatr Child Health"},{"issue":"1","key":"R3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/23814683211019947","article-title":"Patient roadmaps for chronic illness: introducing a new approach for fostering patient-centered care","volume":"6","author":"Scherer","journal-title":"MDM Policy Pract"},{"issue":"SP","key":"R4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"39","DOI":"10.12927\/hcpol.2023.27180","article-title":"Inconsistent governance structures for health and social services limit service integration for patients with complex care needs","volume":"19","author":"Scott","journal-title":"Healthc Policy"},{"issue":"2","key":"R5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"117","DOI":"10.7861\/fhj.2023-0057","article-title":"Bridging the divide: exploring the relationship between mental and physical health in rural areas","volume":"10","author":"Munoz","journal-title":"Future Healthc J"},{"issue":"s1","key":"R6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"S49","DOI":"10.1089\/apc.2007.9987","article-title":"HIV System Navigation: an emerging model to improve HIV care access","volume":"21 Suppl 1","author":"Bradford","journal-title":"AIDS Patient Care STDS"},{"issue":"4","key":"R7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"257","DOI":"10.5737\/1181912x224257266","article-title":"Professional navigation: a comparative study of two Canadian models [Article in English, French]","volume":"22","author":"Fillion","journal-title":"Can Oncol Nurs J"},{"issue":"12","key":"R8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1001\/jamanetworkopen.2022.45615","article-title":"Evaluation of telehealth visit attendance after implementation of a patient navigator program","volume":"5","author":"Mechanic","journal-title":"JAMA Netw Open"},{"issue":"2","key":"R9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"139","DOI":"10.1007\/s11524-006-9030-0","article-title":"Patient navigation: a community based strategy to reduce cancer disparities","volume":"83","author":"Freeman","journal-title":"J Urban Health"},{"issue":"17","key":"R10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2557","DOI":"10.1097\/QAD.0000000000001987","article-title":"Is HIV patient navigation associated with HIV care continuum outcomes?","volume":"32","author":"Mizuno","journal-title":"AIDS"},{"issue":"1","key":"R11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"169","DOI":"10.1177\/1742395320937046","article-title":"Client perceptions of engaging with a health and social care navigation service: a qualitative study","volume":"18","author":"Wilkinson","journal-title":"Chronic Illn"},{"issue":"6","key":"R12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"822","DOI":"10.1016\/j.amepre.2015.04.023","article-title":"Improving social determinants of health: effectiveness of a web-based intervention","volume":"49","author":"Hassan","journal-title":"Am J Prev Med"},{"issue":"1","key":"R13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-023-48325-9","article-title":"Clinical evaluation of a web-based personalized recommendation system with electronic health record interface to optimize healthcare resources during SARS-CoV-2 surges","volume":"13","author":"Thieme","journal-title":"Sci Rep"},{"issue":"22","key":"R14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph192215115","article-title":"Health recommender systems development, usage, and evaluation from 2010 to 2022: a scoping review","volume":"19","author":"Cai","journal-title":"Int J Environ Res Public Health"},{"issue":"3","key":"R15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2580","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph110302580","article-title":"Health recommender systems: concepts, requirements, technical basics and challenges","volume":"11","author":"Wiesner","journal-title":"Int J Environ Res Public Health"},{"key":"R16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"S H Raja S S S J Y . AI powered personalized healthcare recommender. In: 2024 2nd International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Applications Theme: Healthcare and Internet of Things (AIMLA). IEEE; 2024. [doi: 10.1109\/AIMLA59606.2024.10531601]","DOI":"10.1109\/AIMLA59606.2024.10531601"},{"key":"R17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s40747-020-00212-w","article-title":"Artificial intelligence in recommender systems","volume":"7","author":"Zhang","journal-title":"Complex Intell Syst"},{"key":"R18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1109\/ACCESS.2024.3416962","article-title":"Analysis of recommender system using generative artificial intelligence: a systematic literature review","volume":"12","author":"Ayemowa","journal-title":"IEEE Access"},{"issue":"6","key":"R19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2196\/18035","article-title":"Health recommender systems: systematic review","volume":"23","author":"De Croon","journal-title":"J Med Internet Res"},{"issue":"1","key":"R20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s12913-018-2889-0","article-title":"Navigation delivery models and roles of navigators in primary care: a scoping literature review","volume":"18","author":"Carter","journal-title":"BMC Health Serv Res"},{"issue":"6","key":"R21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"565","DOI":"10.3322\/caac.21788","article-title":"Patient navigation across the cancer care continuum: an overview of systematic reviews and emerging literature","volume":"73","author":"Chan","journal-title":"CA Cancer J Clin"},{"issue":"1","key":"R22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"35","DOI":"10.1007\/s10597-022-00982-2","article-title":"Supporting individuals with mental health and\/or addictions issues through patient navigation: a scoping review","volume":"59","author":"Mullen","journal-title":"Community Ment Health J"},{"issue":"12","key":"R23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e925","DOI":"10.1016\/S2589-7500(23)00152-8","article-title":"Standardising the role of a digital navigator in behavioural health: a systematic review","volume":"5","author":"Perret","journal-title":"Lancet Digit Health"},{"key":"R24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2196\/50307","article-title":"Characteristics of existing online patient navigation interventions: scoping review","volume":"12","author":"Marsh","journal-title":"JMIR Med Inform"},{"issue":"3","key":"R25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"209","DOI":"10.1016\/s0010-4825(02)00016-1","article-title":"\u201cCHEATS\u201d: a generic information communication technology (ICT) evaluation framework","volume":"32","author":"Shaw","journal-title":"Comput Biol Med"},{"key":"R26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Peters MD Godfrey C McInerney P Munn Z Tricco AC Khalil H . Scoping reviews. In: Aromataris E Lockwood C Porritt K Pilla B Jordan Z , editors. JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis. JBI; 2020. [doi: 10.46658\/JBIMES-24-09]","DOI":"10.46658\/JBIMES-24-09"},{"issue":"7","key":"R27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"467","DOI":"10.7326\/M18-0850","article-title":"PRISMA extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR): checklist and explanation","volume":"169","author":"Tricco","journal-title":"Ann Intern Med"},{"issue":"4","key":"R28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"89","DOI":"10.1109\/MPRV.2014.74","article-title":"Smartphones: past, present, and future","volume":"13","author":"Islam","journal-title":"IEEE Pervasive Comput"},{"issue":"4","key":"R29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"953","DOI":"10.11124\/JBIES-21-00242","article-title":"Best practice guidance and reporting items for the development of scoping review protocols","volume":"20","author":"Peters","journal-title":"JBI Evid Synth"},{"key":"R30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2196\/60138","article-title":"Designing health recommender systems to promote health equity: a socioecological perspective","volume":"27","author":"Figueroa","journal-title":"J Med Internet Res"},{"issue":"3","key":"R31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"324","DOI":"10.1017\/s0266462307070493","article-title":"Effective early warning systems for new and emerging health technologies: developing an evaluation framework and an assessment of current systems","volume":"23","author":"Murphy","journal-title":"Int J Technol Assess Health Care"}],"container-title":["JMIR Research Protocols"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.researchprotocols.org\/2026\/1\/e88198","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,31]],"date-time":"2026-07-31T22:24:59Z","timestamp":1785536699000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.researchprotocols.org\/2026\/1\/e88198"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,21]]},"references-count":31,"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.2196\/88198","relation":{},"ISSN":["1929-0748"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1929-0748","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,21]]},"article-number":"v15i10e88198"}}