Widening digital participation: assisted digital for health

Bob Gann

NHS Commissioning Board

March 2013

Assisted digital

• Providing physical access and/or support to use digital channels those without internet skills.

• Signposting to internet training for those

requiring digital skills e.g. via UK Online Centres, libraries etc.

• Build on existing initiatives aimed at getting people to use Digital Channels (e.g. GO ON)

• Helping ensure that the development of new services – designed to be Digital by Default – are also accessible and usable for service users.

NHS Commissioning Board Mandate

• “An NHS for everyone regardless of income, location, age, gender, ethnicity or any other characteristic. Yet across these groups there are still too many longstanding and unjustifiable inequalities in access to services, in quality of care and in health outcomes. The NHS Commissioning Board has specific legal duties to tackle health inequalities and advance equality”

• “The Board’s objective is to achieve a significant increase in the use of technology to help people manage their health and care”

Equality Impact Assessment: most affected groups

The heaviest users of NHS & those experiencing greatest health inequalities are least likely to be online

• 8m people have never used the internet• 5m people over 65 have never been online. People over 65 account for more than half of all NHS spend • 4 million disabled adults have never been online. People with disabilities are three times more likely never to have used the internet than those without disabilities.

Widening digital participation

Objective: To support 100,000 people who have not used the internet to get online for health information & transactions

Objective: To support 100,000 people who have not used the internet to get online for health information & transactions

Challenge• People who experience greatest health inequalities are also least likely to be online• 8 million people have never used internet• Without support the digital revolution will not reach significant numbers of older people, people with disabilities & other disadvantaged groups

Challenge• People who experience greatest health inequalities are also least likely to be online• 8 million people have never used internet• Without support the digital revolution will not reach significant numbers of older people, people with disabilities & other disadvantaged groups

Scope of programmeWork with UK Online Centres to develop training and support in local communities. £1m funding secured for year 1 (2013-14)

Scope of programmeWork with UK Online Centres to develop training and support in local communities. £1m funding secured for year 1 (2013-14)

Deliverables • 25 local UK Online Centres developed as digital health hubs• 10 new hubs in health care environments• Digital health learning package on LearnMyWay.com• Online digital inclusion zone on NHS Choices• Digital marketing engine to track use• Evaluation at end of year 1

Deliverables • 25 local UK Online Centres developed as digital health hubs• 10 new hubs in health care environments• Digital health learning package on LearnMyWay.com• Online digital inclusion zone on NHS Choices• Digital marketing engine to track use• Evaluation at end of year 1

Case study: Norah | Digital Health

Next milestones• Funding to UK Online• Steering Group• Identify sites• Initial learning package

Next milestones• Funding to UK Online• Steering Group• Identify sites• Initial learning package

Working with community hubs in deprived areas

Developing digital capability & literacy

Overcoming barriers to digital participation

Taken from Digital Britain Report (2009)