Digital skills to widen participation and increase health literacy

Bob Gann, Programme Director, Widening Digital Participation,

NHS England

A significant increase in the use of technology to help people to manage their own health and care An NHS for everyone regardless of income, gender, location, age, ethnicity or any other characteristic

NHS England Mandate, 2013

NHS England commitments

Who’s online?

• 13% of population (7m

people) have never used

the internet

• And 11m people lack

basic digital skills

• Most are older and/or

have disabilities

• But older people are the

fastest growing group

getting online

ONS Internet Access Quarterly Update Q1

2014

One in six people are over 65.

People over 65 account for more than half of all NHS

spend, & are least likely to be online

One in four people have a long

term condition or disability . Long term conditions account

for 70% of all NHS spend. People with LTCs & disabilities

are three times more likely never to have used the internet

Those in old age

Those out of work

Those who are physically and socially

isolated

Those who don’t have

English as 1st language

Travellers and transient populations

Those who are disabled

Those living in rural and

remote areas

Digitally excluded make most

use of NHS & experience

greatest health inequality

Digital health literacy & health inequalities

• Half the population lack literacy & numeracy skills to use health

information effectively

• Information & services are increasingly digital - digital skills are

increasingly essential to health literacy

• Low health literacy closely linked to poorer health outcomes &

mortality

Bostock,s & Steptoe, Association between low functional health literacy & mortality in older adults.

British Medical Journal 2012; 344

Reducing inequalities: training citizens in basic

online skills to boost health literacy

Widening Digital Participation Programme

Contract with Tinder Foundation

Online training programme in basic digital skills for health

Digital health events & marketing campaign

Digital health information training network in 175 centres – public libraries, community centres, primary care, care homes

Performance in 2013-14

Digital health flagships

Innovative approaches working in local communities including:

• Bromley-by-Bow Healthy Living Centre – social prescribing

• Southampton Libraries – working with cancer support groups

• e-Learning in Leicester – digital skills for Asian community

• Mayfair Centre in Shropshire – rural communities

• Inspire in Hull – social isolation & mental health

• Heeley Trust in Sheffield – GP practices

• Breezie – easy to use tablet for older people

• 68 York Street, Leeds – working with homeless

Celebrating community achievement

Mayfair Centre, Shropshire won GSK/ Kings Fund Impact Award

68 York Street, Leeds won NHS Excellence in Participation Award

Cooke e-Learning, Leicester showcased on YouTube

• Putting people in charge of their own health

• Harnessing new, transformational

technologies • Exploiting the potential of transparent data

• Maintaining & improving patient experience

• Enhancing quality of life for people with long term

conditions

• Tackling the dementia challenge

• Improving access & quality of care for less

advantaged groups

• Addressing health inequalities through

partnership working

Improving digital literacy can have a significant

impact on:

Tackling inequalities: reducing isolation &

loneliness Social isolation & loneliness is a public health challenge. Helping older people get online enables them to keep in touch with family & friends

Tackling inequalities: improving access & reducing stigma

People with some conditions & from some groups in society can face stigma when accessing services. Online access can be more anonymous and less embarrassing

Tackling inequalities: improving self reliance &

reducing dependency

Developing digital skills, including through social prescribing, can increase health literacy & empowerment, and reduce dependence on health professionals

Evaluation findings

• 76% of people trained now feel more confident managing their health using online tools

• 18% of people trained now feel more self reliant and have reduced their use of the NHS

“Doing the digital skills health course has given me the confidence to register online with my local GP surgery, to make appointments online, to check what medicine I'm on and when it’s due for renewal... Before this, I’d have needed to travel to the doctors and stood in a queue just to make an appointment. With this it’s just ‘click’ and it’s done. It’s fantastic.”

Thank you

Please contact me if you would like to know more:

Email bob.gann@nhs.net

Twitter Bob_Gann