The future of health care is digital

This month The Health Foundation focusses on the transformational potential of digital technology to support radical innovation and improvement in health and social care – with expert views from the sector and updates about a wide range of our own work in this field:

What will it take for digital technology to finally fulfil its potential?
Director of Innovation and Improvement, Malte Gerhold, thinks technology is an enabler of the fundamental transformation needed in how care is delivered. But only if we genuinely focus on supporting the changes needed to implement it.

A game changer for health care as we know it
Professor Robert Wachter is a respected international voice on health care technology. Following his recent visit to the UK, he explains why now is the time for the NHS to truly harness the potential of AI and digital technology.

AI, virtual wards and digital scribes: embracing digital technology in health
Tara Donnelly, previously Chief Digital Officer for NHS X/NHS England, says when it comes to digital technology, the NHS needs to be bold, paint a positive picture of the future, and listen to what patients want.

Does better tech always mean better health care?
Justine Karpusheff shines a light on new research into the anticipated, but unintended consequences of remote consultations for antibiotic prescribing.

Putting people at the heart of data-driven health systems to address inequalities
Mai Stafford and Josh Keith reflect on partnership work with the Ada Lovelace Institute to explore inequalities in the UK’s digital health services and data-driven health systems, and what we can do to address them.

Exploring public attitudes towards the use of digital health technologies and data
Latest polling shows that overall, the public thinks technology improves the quality of health care and is supportive of its many possible uses – with some exceptions.

What do technology and AI mean for the future of work in health care?

via The Health Foundation

Recent developments in artificial intelligence (AI) have sparked fears about the potential threat to jobs in many industries, including health care. Drawing on labour market modelling, this long read analyses what makes health care different from other industries predicted to be more heavily impacted by new technologies.

The article explains that role evolution should not be viewed as a passive process, but should be actively planned and shaped. It calls for a shared vision for how professions and occupations – as well as new roles – should develop with greater use of technology. This vision must be supported by national workforce planning, education and training strategies, and more opportunities for NHS staff to signal the technologies they need.

Full detail: What do technology and AI mean for the future of work in health care?

The impact of eHealth on relationships and trust in primary care

Ramachandran, M. et al. | The impact of eHealth on relationships and trust in primary care: a review of reviews | BMC Primary. Care 24, 228 | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12875-023-02176-5

Given the increasing integration of digital health technologies in team-based primary care, this review aimed at understanding the impact of eHealth on patient-provider and provider-provider relationships.

A review of reviews was conducted on three databases to identify papers published in English from 2008 onwards. The impact of different types of eHealth on relationships and trust and the factors influencing the impact were thematically analysed. A total of 79 reviews were included.

Communication systems like telemedicine were the most discussed type of technology. eHealth was found to have both positive and negative impacts on relationships and/or trust. This impact was influenced by a range of patient-related, provider-related, technology-related, and organisational factors, such as patient sociodemographics, provider communication skills, technology design, and organisational technology implementation, respectively.

Recommendations are provided for effective and equitable technology selection, application, and training to optimise the impact of eHealth on relationships and trust. The review findings can inform providers’ and policymakers’ decision-making around the use of eHealth in primary care delivery to facilitate relationship-building.

Full paper: The impact of eHealth on relationships and trust in primary care: a review of reviews

Inclusive digital healthcare: a framework for NHS action on digital inclusion

NHS England

This document builds on previous NHS Digital guidance on digital inclusion for health and social care. It can be used to design and implement inclusive digital approaches and technologies, which are complementary to non-digital services and support.

Full detail: Inclusive digital healthcare: a framework for NHS action on digital inclusion

See also: Supporting digital inclusion in general practice: 10 top tips

Access denied? Socioeconomic inequalities in digital health services

via Ada Lovelace Institute

This report seeks to understand how people who have lived experience of poverty and ongoing health concerns are impacted by health inequalities when interacting with patient-facing digital health services. The findings suggest a need for policymakers, health care leaders, and digital health service designers and developers to reconsider how they use data and how they design and deploy digital health services.

Full report: Access denied? Socioeconomic inequalities in digital health services

All GP surgeries in England to have digital phone lines by March 2024

via Department of Health and Social Care

Patients at all general practices across England will soon benefit from new digital phone lines designed to make booking GP appointments easier. Backed by a £240 million investment, more than 1,000 practices have signed up to make the switch from analogue systems – which can leave patients on hold and struggling to book an appointment – to modern, easy-to-use digital telephones. It is expected every practice in the country will have the new system in place by the end of this financial year, helping put an end to the 8am rush.

Full detail: All GP surgeries in England to have digital phone lines by March 2024 | Department of Health and Social Care

See also: Digital phonelines are a positive step but we’re in dire need of more GPs, says College Chair | Royal College of General Practitioners

Majority of public want digital health apps to be used in NHS

via Digital Health

Sixty-eight percent of people agree that digital health apps should be used within the NHS, according to the third annual survey into public attitudes on health apps in the UK by the Organisation for the Review of Care and Health Apps (ORCHA). In addition, nearly half (47%) of all those surveyed said they were already using a health app.

In line with this, 60% more GPs have recommended digital health apps to their patients this year, in comparison to last year. London GPs were revealed to recommend more health apps than any other region.

Full detail: Majority of public want digital health apps to be used in NHS

How digital exclusion impacts access to healthcare for people seeking asylum in England

via British Red Cross

This report finds that people seeking asylum in England are at risk of missing out on basic healthcare services because they have limited access to the internet and digital tools. Using a peer research approach, where refugees who have been through the asylum process interviewed people seeking asylum, the report provides a detailed picture of the barriers to online healthcare services. It highlights several barriers, including the affordability of devices and mobile data, a lack of Wi-Fi in asylum accommodation, and a lack of confidence in using technology and navigating websites in English.

The people interviewed for the report said they felt isolated and lonely as a result of not having digital access. Worryingly, some stated that a lack of digital access also meant they avoided seeking help for medical problems altogether or went straight to A&E, when they couldn’t get through to a GP. The charity warns this puts the health of people seeking asylum at risk and adds additional pressure to emergency services.

Full report: Offline and Isolated: How digital exclusion impacts access to healthcare for people seeking asylum in England

Press release: People seeking asylum at risk of missing out on basic healthcare services

How primary care physicians experience telehealth: An international comparison

The Commonwealth Fund

This report sets out the findings from the 2022 Commonwealth Fund International Health Policy Survey of Primary Care Physicians. It explores the uptake and impact of telehealth across ten countries, including the United Kingdom. The majority of primary care physicians in half of the surveyed countries see some patients in a typical week via telehealth, whether through video or audio. In more than half the countries most physicians believe telehealth has improved timeliness of care and enabled them to perform mental and behavioural health needs assessments.

Full detail: How primary care physicians experience telehealth: An international comparison

Tackling inequality and disadvantage when using digital tools

Tackling inequality and disadvantage: Key actions policy makers, commissioners and provider organisations can take when developing an approach with a digital component | VCSE Health and Wellbeing Alliance

This briefing, launched by members of the VCSE Health and Wellbeing Alliance, highlights how groups of people who experience the greatest barriers to accessing health and care are often the most likely to experience digital exclusion.

It contains detailed insights into how digital exclusion affects groups who experience health inequalities, including people with learning disabilities, people seeking asylum, people in contact with the criminal justice system, people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities and others. The guidance highlights the key actions people who design health and care can take to tackle inequality and disadvantage when using digital tools.

Full detail: Tackling inequality and disadvantage: Key actions policy makers, commissioners and provider organisations can take when developing an approach with a digital component