NHS England and Improvement and Health Education England (HEE) are asking GP practice staff to take part in research and provide their views and opinions on digital services in primary care.
The NHS and HEE are collaborating with Nightingale Design Research – a Nottingham-based research consultancy – to find out primary care professionals’ perspectives on digital health services, which will then help inform and design training to support staff in delivering remote, online and video-based healthcare for patients.
GPs, practice nurses, primary care pharmacists, practice managers and administrative staff across England are all being asked for their input, and to use their experiences to assist in shaping effective training that will inform, teach and boost the confidence of other staff.
As part of the research, staff who volunteer to share their time and views will participate in 90-minute ‘virtual focus groups’, according to Nightingale Design Research. The meetings will see people share their experiences of working digitally, specifically with remote triage and online or video consultations, and be asked about current training and future learning requirements.
Those who wish to take part but can’t make focus group sessions may be able to arrange a separate phone or video interview slot that suits their schedule, with the research running across May and June 2021.
The research is part of the NHS and HEE Digital Readiness Programme, which aims to improve digital skills and knowledge across the sector, and includes a focus on supporting digital literacy and building a digital workforce.
HTN recently covered a House of Lords committee report called ‘Beyond Digital: Planning for a Hybrid World’, which called for greater investment in digital health tech services, including a commitment to more training for staff, as well as the right for patients to request online or offline services from their clinicians.
These developments follow on from a year in which the healthcare sector has seen accelerated growth in digital services and, as providers emerge from a pandemic setting, there appears to be a move towards reflection, learnings and future-proofing.
To take part in the Nightingale Design Research sessions, fill in the online form.
