4. Not binary: offline / online
Non users: 13% of adults in the UK, with 58% of non-users
aged 65+, 42% are in poorer households
Narrow internet users: 11% of all internet users, older 55+
(59%), low income (18%), and newer users (31%)
Proxy users: 33% of UK non-users have asked someone else
to use the internet on their behalf in past 12 months
12. Digital is a foundation for
wider resilience
Not just about skills
support upfront, builds independent users
enable people to better look after themselves
self efficacy in a digital society
“teach a man to fish”
16. 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
17. Digital Inclusion & Health
In the UK one in six people are over 65 = 50% of
NHS spend
One in four people have a long term condition or
disability = 70% of NHS spend
People with LTCs and disabilities are three times
more likely never to have used the internet
18. Widening Digital Participation with NHS England &
Good Things Foundation
• To support those most likely to experience health inequalities
• Local support through a specialist Digital Health Network of c.
250 centres + rest of 5000 online centres network
• Expert online content: embeddable course, NHS Choices,
which supports people to access health information online
and learn how to complete digital medical transactions.
• And test innovative approaches to digital health literacy
(homeless, sex workers, street delivery, social prescribing)
19. Reach of the programme
The Widening Digital Participation programme has had significant
scale and reach, with:
• 221,941 people trained to use digital health resources and tools in
year three
• 387,470 people reached with messages promoting digital tools and
resources that could help them manage their health
• 8,138 people trained as Digital Health Champions or volunteers to
help promote the awareness and use of digital health resources.
20. The programme has targeted the most
vulnerable patients
• 82% fall into at least one category of social
exclusion
• 60% are in receipt of benefits
• 44% are disabled
• 34% are unemployed
• 19% are aged 65 or over (with a further 21%
aged 55-64)
• 16% are from BAME groups
21. Impact on learners
• 41% of those surveyed say they have learned to
access health information online for the first
time (a further 32% have learned to do this more
effectively)
• 65% of respondents feel more informed about
their health
• 59% of respondents feel more confident using
online tools to manage their health
• 52% of respondents feel less lonely or isolated
• 62% feel happier as a result of more social
contact
22. After learning about using the internet to manage health:
• 56% of learners went on to find information on the internet about
health conditions, symptoms or tips for staying healthy
• 54% of learners in need of non-urgent medical advice said they would
now go to the internet before consulting their GP, to look at sites such
as NHS Choices
• 51% of learners have used the internet to explore ways to improve
mental health and wellbeing
23. Innovation Pathfinders
The programme enabled successful approaches to be developed,
adapted and tested which engage people from specific target audiences,
ensuring that we are ‘reaching the furthest first’, including:
• People with dementia
• Carers of people with dementia and other unpaid carers
• People with learning difficulties or disabilities
• Young people (including those at risk of offending)
24.
25. General themes across all audiences
• Trust and safety concerns: NHS Choices is trusted but most people treat
other online health tools with caution because they are unsure of the source.
• Information overload: The NHS Choices website can be difficult for people
to understand the terminology and acronyms used. This can lead to
confusion and can counteract the positive effect of digital health resources
on relieving the burden on health services as people seek clarification in
person or over the telephone
• The value of personal testimony: People are receptive to and trusting of
information provided by others with shared experiences
• Basic digital skills and wider wellbeing: The right equipment, internet
access and basic digital skills training allows people to access condition-
specific health resources online. It also enables them to engage with
services more effectively.
26. The impact on frontline services of the total programme
The programme has had a significant impact on health services, with
people now using the internet at their first port of call for information
• 21% of learners made fewer calls or visits to their GP
• 10% of learners made fewer calls to NHS 111
• 6% of learners made fewer visits to A&E
• 29% of learners have gone online to find health services
• 22% of learners have progressed to booking GP appointments online and
• 20% have ordered repeat prescriptions online
• 17% of learners have gone online to rate or review their GP or another health
service
27. This behavior change has resulted in significant cost
savings to the NHS. Our evaluation has found
potential annual savings of
• £3.7m in saved GP visits
• £2.3m in saved A&E visits
These savings alone represent a return on
investment of £6.40 for every £1 invested in year
three of the programme
28. In summary
65% of patients agreed they were
more informed about their health
54% needing non-urgent medical
advice said they would now go
online first before consulting their
GP
£6.40 saved for the NHS for every
£1 invested in the programme
http://nhs.goodthingsfoundation.org/
29. Ron
Less than six months ago Ron
was living in a tent by a busy
road. Poor mental and physical
health, and a gambling addiction,
had left him out of work,
homeless. With the help of a
local charity and online centre,
Ron has found housing and has
the skills he needs to improve his
life, health and wellbeing.
