Improving digital participation in eHealth through collaboration and design

Nicola Gill, NHS Digital

The challenge

• As more and more services move online we need

to ensure no one gets left behind

• Over 11m people lack basic digital skills & 5m

never been online

• Low levels of adoption – even with digitally savvy

• Those not online often have complex health &

care needs – highest % of cost to NHS

• Digital skills are increasingly essential to health

literacy

Barriers to uptake

• Skills

• Motivation

• Awareness

• Access / Cost

• Poor design

3

Design for inclusionCollaboration and co-

design can improve user

experience and widen

participation

Principles we work by

• Focus on needs

• Work in partnership with patients, staff

and community experts

• Build on what works already

• Go to where they go – work with the

people they see everyday

• Use the right language5

People & behaviour v technology

6

Integrating with

people’s lives and life-

style, supporting

decisions in context of

where they are and

what they are doing

Co-design in action

• NHS Digital Inclusion Pathfinders

• Working with Good Things Foundation

• 20 testbeds/pilots to develop & design

new ways of tackling digital exclusion

• All co-designed with patients, staff and

community organisations

• Scale what works7

Helping homeless people in Hastings

8

• Seaview homeless

charity

• Hastings CCG

• Local Council

• Libraries

• Snowflake night

shelter

Helping older people in Nailsea

9

No 65 The High Street:

• NHS services

• Local Council

• Citizens Advice

Bureau

• Local residents

• Age UK

10

“The person who knows

you doesn’t have the

knowledge and the

person who has the

knowledge doesn’t know

you.”

The challenges we’re facing

• No standard guidance – national v local

• Lack of capability, time, resource, funding

• Misconceptions & fears

• Language barrier – patient v clinician

• Resistance to change

• Implementation

11

The good news!

• Lots of innovation and investment in this

way or working

• Digital Health Design Network

• Guide for commissioners and designers

of digital health services – including best

practise principles

• Agile working becoming standard12

Read all about it

• medium.com/nhs-widening-digital-

participation

• transformation.blog.nhs.uk

• @ngill10

• @goodthingsfdn

• #nhswdp

13