Widening Digital Participation

NHS England’s programme to improve digital skills and reduce digital inequalities

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.

National Information Board Framework, November 2014

Digital revolution: great expectations?

Who’s digitally excluded?

9.5m people lack basic digital skill● 53% are over 65● 44% are social class

DE

6.4m people have never used internet● 31% have a disability

BBC Media Literacy & ONS Internet Access Quarterly Update Q1 2014

• Those who are least likely to be online are those who most need health & care services

• Information & services are increasingly digital - digital skills are increasingly essential to health literacy

• Low health literacy closely linked to poorer health outcomes & mortality

Bostock & Steptoe, Association between low functional health literacy & mortality in older adults. British Medical Journal 2012; 344

Leaving no-one behind

 

.

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’ve done to combat digital inequality • Partnership with social enterprise –

Tinder Foundation

• Working through network of 5,000 UK Online Centres in community settings

• Online training modules to introduce health information & transactions

• Engaged with 220,000 digitally excluded people

• Trained 130,000 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

• 18% say they feel more self reliant and have reduced their use of the NHS for minor ailments

• 48% say they are now eating more healthily• 30% say they are doing more physical activity

• 38% say they have saved time by doing something online • 72% say they have saved money (eg avoiding travel costs)

Transforming lives

From being homeless

and excluded from NHS services, Ron now manages his health

online

Some questions & challenges• The Widening Digital Participation programme has particularly focused

on digital skills. Is this the main reason people aren’t online? What about other factors and how can we tackle them?

• There’s good evidence that low health literacy leads to worse health outcomes & mortality. As health information & services are increasingly digital by default, is digital literacy now essential to good health – and with what impact on health inequalities?

• Despite our efforts, some sections of society may never be online. How can we ensure that they benefit from the digital revolution?

• Digital services are not always well designed and easy to use. There is a risk that when people build skills and confidence to get online, they are frustrated by websites and tools which don’t meet their needs. What can we do about this?