Cheshire and Merseyside Health and Care Partnership has shared how a ‘tech kit’ recycling project has helped improve outcomes for digitally excluded groups.
By supporting the group online and encouraging them with digital health services, the ICS says it’s opened up access to mental health support, and how to live healthier lifestyles, such as quitting smoking.
The project received £27,000 in funding from the Digital First Primary Care Programme, which helped purchase and reuse computers, monitors, and keyboards. This was arranged into ‘digital packs’ and distributed to the groups who needed to access digital health services the most, free of charge.
For the first 6 months, more than 70 people from Cheshire and Merseyside benefitted from the project. One recipient who needed support to manage her diabetes and overall health, received a digital pack and said: “It’s made my life easier and has given me more independence and freedom than I had before, because I’m now able to access online diabetes health and wellbeing programmes, other online courses such as leadership training where I can connect with people.”
Project Manager Jennifer Mason highlighted the importance of the project in the midst of a worldwide pandemic: “It came at a time when having full access to computers and the internet couldn’t be more important, in allowing people to use online services, attend medical appointments, and virtual classes, as well as stay in touch with friends and family.
“That said, I’m extremely proud that through this project, we’ve not only changed the lives of digitally excluded individuals across Cheshire and Merseyside, who’ve benefitted from being able to access digital health services, but that we’ve also managed to narrow the digital divide.
“Whilst additionally, I hope our approach can be replicated more widely to support other Integrated Care Systems across the UK, in advocating for digitally excluded groups in their areas and tackling the digital divide.”
Amanda Parkin, Digital First Primary Care Programme Manager also added: “Outcomes which have been life changing for these individuals, and which are a real testament to what can be accomplished with a relatively small budget, through collaboration, partnership working, and pooling resources across multi-agency services and systems, to support those most in need.
“Digitally excluded people are some of the heaviest users of health and social care services, so supporting these individuals to get online and use digital health resources is crucial.”
Looking forward, the Digital Programme inclusion team will focus on distributing the remaining 74 digital packs, to help support more digitally excluded groups across the region.
In addition to that, they will also develop a blueprint to capture what they have learnt from the project, with an aim to be utilised by healthcare systems and providers, that wish to replicate the approach.
The team also want to further understand the digital barriers individuals may face locally and support them access digital health services, such as ordering repeat prescriptions and gaining access to guidance.
