Good Thinking workshops: the impact of digital inclusion on community health outcomes
This autumn, London’s digital wellbeing service, Good Thinking, is running a series of online workshops to explore the impact of digital exclusion on health inequalities and the risks of connecting vulnerable or reluctant individuals to the digital world.
Leading experts in online harm, digital inequalities, digital health and the digital transformation of health services will present insights into what is needed for safe and successful digital inclusion. Insights will be gathered from all the workshops to inform a model of good practice for digital inclusion in health, and the development of a proposed Digital Inequalities Impact Assessment to promote good practice.
The workshops will be facilitated by Dr Richard Graham, Consultant Psychiatrist, Clinical Director for Good Thinking and Dr Victoria Betton, PeopleDotCom.
Digital inclusion workshops:
II: Can you achieve good health if just offline?
19 October 12pm – 1pm
Exploring whether digital access is now a fundamental component of good health, and good public health. Full details and to register.
Speakers include:
- Leah Jones, Behavioural Science Team Leader, Public Health Advice, Guidance and Expertise (PHAGE) function National COVID-19 Response Centre
- Dr Shanika Sharma, GP Principal; Clinical Lead, Transforming Primary Care, London, Healthy London Partnership, Homeless Team
- Professor Al Story, Find&Treat Clinical Lead and Consultant in Public Health Medicine; UCL Professor of Inclusion Health, Co-Director UCL Collaborative Centre for Inclusion Health
III: Are Digital Skills key to good Health?
2 November 12pm – 1pm
Exploring the relationship between digital inequalities, digital skills training and better health outcomes. Full details and to register.
Speakers include:
- Professor Ellen Helsper, Professor of Digital Inequalities, London School of Economics
- Leonard Warren, Digital Inclusion Project Lead, Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
- Cliff Manning, Director of Research and Development, ParentZone
- The London Office of Technology and Innovation
IV: Is NHS Digital Transformation good for all?
16 November 12pm – 1pm
Exploring the progress of digital transformation in the NHS and how we ensure no-one is left behind. Full details and to register.
Speakers include:
- Roz Davies, Thrive by Design
- Bekah Evans, Digital Transformation Manager at Bristol, North Somerset & South Gloucestershire Integrated Care System
- Oliver Bailey, Assistant Director, Digital Health, NEL Healthcare Consulting
- Nuno Santos Lopes, Director of Care, Nightingale Hammerson
Exploring the impact of digital inclusion on community health outcomes
Research suggests that the Covid-19 pandemic has amplified inequalities in areas such as health and education within many communities across London, particularly when it comes to access to health services online.
In addition, digital inequality has emerged as a, perhaps, new area of inequality, a new burden, and its impact on life chances uncharted.
The extent of digital inequalities was previously perhaps less visible too, to many practitioners. For example, before the pandemic, according to the Ofcom Children’s Media Use and Attitudes Survey, 23.4% of 5-15 year olds in the poorest households (NRS Grades D&E) did not have access to both a educationally usable device (laptop, desktop or tablet) and broadband. This equals 524,871 UK children, of which 74,225 were likely studying for GCSEs. When education went online during COVID, some could not, and life chances were reshaped.
During COVID digital inequality also had a greater impact on health, directly and indirectly, from the reduction of access to health information, to increasing feelings of loneliness and isolation. Yet to advance equality and improve health outcomes, is the solution simply to increase access to devices and the Internet?
What might happen if vulnerable groups with health needs go online, without sufficient attention to their online safety?
Join the above workshops to engage in the discussion.