It can make health and care services more accessible. It can make them flexible; make them a more person-centred service offering a better and effective experience for patients and care staff.
But there is no guarantee for any of this happening until digitally enabled services are inclusive and not only meet what is expected of them by the staff that use them, but of the public as well.
Digital exclusion in health and care often ties-in with other
forms of social exclusion and disadvantage.
This isn’t a simple or a static thing, as there are processes, practices and various dependencies that can affect the delivery of care, and this depends on personal or clinical circumstance.
Digital Exclusion and Digital Inclusion
Digital Exclusion relates to the lack of access, lack of skills or the capabilities needed to engage with devices or digital services which allow people to take part in society.
In the health care arena, there are extra aspects which may not be relevant to other online interactions, but they do count toward digital exclusion:
As an example, privacy may be required for online health services, and digital exclusion can be a factor when digital tools might be the only way to access a public service.
Where more and more services are being delivered through the internet – whether website, phone app, email or SMS - and online becomes the preferred means of contact, those who are digitally excluded are in danger of being left behind.
Digital inclusion is the approach for overcoming any exclusions by addressing the barriers to opportunity, access, knowledge and skills for using technology.
Recent
framework from the NHS points out the importance of digital inclusion throughout its services, offering guidance on effective and inclusive health and social care services to help address challenges faced by digitally excluded groups.
Highlighted in the framework is a
need for strong leadership commitment, steered toward recognising any digital inequalities and creating parallel
accessible services for patients both through services online and in-person.
Ideally, increasing digital inclusion can have benefits for community and society, as well as for the NHS.
On an individual basis, getting online could increase a person’s confidence, reduce social isolation, and gain financial savings and opportunities in leisure. Also, in employment too, where they could benefit from opportunities for remote working and increased earnings opportunities.
Saying that, where digital health services are involved, there should be available support to not only get people online, but also allow them to confidently use the available resources to deal with and overcome local healthcare concerns.
National newscaster
Charity Digital explore this and more in their digital inclusion feature that looks at how digital technologies are shaping health, and what needs to change.
Using examples from various contributors, they explore how health and care service providers can put in place different approaches which could be used to reduce digital exclusion.
To
read the feature, visit the Charity Digital
website.