Chief Allied Health Profession Officers Conference

Digital skills – essential to access care

Bob GannWidening Digital Participation

NHS England

#CAHPO16@Bob_Gann

One of the greatest opportunities of the 21st century is the potential to safely harness the power of the technology revolution, which has transformed our society, to meet the challenges of improving health

and providing better, safer, sustainable care for all.

Our ambition is for a health and care system that enables people to make healthier choices, to be more resilient, to deal more effectively with illness and disability when it arises, and to have happier, longer lives in old age; a health and care system where technology can help tackle inequalities and improve access to services for the vulnerable.

Personalised Health & Care 2020. National Information Board Framework, November 2014

Digital revolution: great expectations?

The digital divide

6m people (11% of population) have never used the internet10m people lack basic digital skills ● 53% are over 65● 44% are social class DE● 31% have a disability

BBC Media Literacy & Office of National Statistics 2015

Leaving no-one behind

 

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Develop partnerships with the voluntary sector and industry to support

digital inclusion

Build the capacity of all citizens to access

information. 

 Ensure that the

digital opportunity is inclusive.

Build better insight into the barriers to

digital inclusion

Widen current programme of digital inclusion with the Tinder

Foundation

What we’re doing to combat digital inequality Partnership with social enterprise – Tinder Foundation

Mobilised network of 5,000 UK Online Centres in community settings – libraries, health centres, homeless shelters, pubs, chip shops

Online training modules to introduce health information & transactions

Worked with 350,000 digitally excluded people so far to provide them with places to go to get online & training in digital skills for health

Delivering benefits• 82% of people trained were socially disadvantaged

and likely to be experiencing health inequalities

• 85% say they now feel more confident managing their health using online tools

• 34% say they feel more self reliant and have reduced their use of the NHS for minor ailments

• 63% say they have improved their diet

• 38% say they have saved time by doing something online

• 72% say they have saved money (eg avoiding travel costs)

• £6 saved for every £1 invested

http://nhs.tinderfoundation.org/

Recommendations to NHS from Martha Lane Fox

Infrastructure• Free public wi-fi should be available

throughout NHS premises by 2020

Exclusion• Prioritise reaching the furthest first

Staff skills & attitudes• Enable health workers to engage

patients with digital

Online primary care• 10% of patients in every practice

enabled for online services by 2017

December 2015

Digital confidence & maturity of health & care workforce

“Building the digital skills and maturity within the health workforce could radically improve the take up and adoption of new digital tools and technology. Digital health literacy, confidence and maturity amongst the NHS workforce are vital to realising the great potential the network age brings.

It is critical that front line staff have the confidence and skills to introduce people to new digital services and tools, motivate them to use them and support them to do so”

Martha Lane Fox Recommendations to National Information Board

Case study: occupational therapists as digital champions

Mount Hospital, Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Free wi-fi in all dementia & mental health wards

Tablet devices for patients and carers

Occupational therapy team ran groupsessions for patients to improve digital confidence & introduce digital resources