NHS Widening Digital Participation — a year in review

We have come the end of the 1st year of our Widening Digital Participation programme and here are some things that we have achieved (and lessons we have learnt)

It’s been an absolute privilege being involved in this programme. We have met some incredible people and been party to some amazing innovation — elegant and powerful.

Let’s start with numbers….. everyone loves numbers so here we go;

• 104,000 people supported and engaged
• Active in 13 pathfinders (2 Evaluation, 6 Live and 5 in Discovery)
• 30 co-design workshops
• 3,400 people engaged through pathfinders alone
• 135 new Digital Champions
• 1 new Learn My way Module- ‘Searching better’ — developed and in testing
• 1 micro site and interactive map in development
• 110 different stakeholder organisations (including 5 national partners)

These numbers are only meaningful if we have learnt something. So here are my top 5 things that I’ve learnt in this first year.

1. Don’t say digital.

The word ‘digital’ means different things to almost everybody. As such it is an unnecessary vehicle for confusion when health practitioners talk to patients.

Do you know what digital means? It comes from your fingers! They are digits! — a user in our Sheffield co-design session angrily told us.

The concept of digital should just be an enabler in health care and pathways…. much like we wouldn’t mention the word technology we would tend to just describe the action. e.g. “Let’s check your blood levels” *does action. Not, “we can use technology to check your blood levels” *does action.

We used this insight to iterate one of our models in Sheffield.

2. Understand the context of trust

I’ve written about the differences in what professionals and patients trust previously. Understanding the context of trust is vital to ensure adoption. Patients trust peers — often irregardless of medical expertise.

My neighbour has been through it. They understand

When a patient uses a new app to monitor their fitness then health — something that a peer has suggested- professionals could celebrate this, even if the professional doesn’t completely trust the app. It means that the patient is activated! This could be a huge step. What if the health professional and patient then jointly decide if there is a better (more medically robust App out there)?

3. Go where the patients are

This has been a defining principle of our User Research in this programme. People have told us ‘what we want to hear’ when we have invited them to offices or meeting rooms. When Tim and Emily went under Hastings pier at 4am to talk to the homeless community or when Tim and I went to a traveller site in Dorset we were able to understand context in a deeper and more emotional way. (Tim gets all the great assignments!)

Tim going where the homeless in Hastings are

4. Invest in people not just technology

Digital can satisfy a huge array of patient needs. It can give access to accurate, timely information at the point of crisis or need and much much more. However, people are the driving force of change. Find advocates and champions and give them the space to try things. Good Things Foundation know that through our Online Network it’s people that are changing the World.

Good Things Foundation — How We Change the World- Individual Level.

5. Collaborate — There are already people trying to solve this

Every geographical area that we work in and every cohort of people we try and help — there are already tens of organisations and people trying to solve similar things. That means there are eco-systems already in place that can be woven together to help patients. Understanding this and bringing these organisations together is as strong as any ground breaking innovation. It is important to remember that no project — when it involves people — is done in isolation.

People need to know what is going on in town. — said a patient during our co-design session for the digital health hub in Nailsea

If you want to learn more about digital (yes I’m still saying it) models for….

Social Prescribing in Sheffield / Young People and Mental Health in Islington / Social Media and Long term Conditions in Stoke / Digital Health Hubs in Nailsea / Digital Health and Homelessness in Hastings / Elderly isolated people in Sunderland / Young carers and the people they care for in Bradford / Access to health for people with Sensory Impairments in West Yorkshire / Maternity services in Dorset / Over 55’s in supported housing in Thanet / A&E reduction in Balckpool

…..then please contact me Pete@goodthingsfoundation.org