“I would be dead without the internet,” a young man in Leeds told me on a rainy afternoon last October. He had rebuilt his life from a drug addiction by visiting a centre where he learnt how to use a computer, and how to make and sell music online. He is one of thousands across the UK who have found the internet invaluable in helping to manage extremely difficult personal circumstances.
I’ve always believed in the power of information and technology as an incredibly useful tool, whether that was while building my online travel company lastminute.com or providing a lifeline to the outside world as I recovered from a serious accident in 2004. The internet was essential in allowing me to research my treatment, keep in touch with friends and family, and even shop when I couldn’t leave the house. It allowed me to re-engage with the world.
This, together with my role as UK Digital Champion, has given me an insight into how the experience of patients could be transformed by using everyday technologies such as the internet, email and mobile phones in a more innovative way.
There’s clearly an appetite for a new approach. The Department of Health is launching a consultation this week into how information and technology can help people take more control of their health and make the best choices for themselves and their families. This will be looking at, among other things, patients being able to view and share their medical records more easily, email their doctors and access relevant, accurate, user-friendly information. So a patient needing cancer surgery will be able to compare the results of all cancer surgery consultant teams in England and choose between them.
Public expectations are certainly racing ahead. A recent YouGov poll found that 40 per cent believe the NHS can learn from the services offered by supermarkets, banks and utility companies. A significant 77 per cent said they wanted to book medical appointments in a variety of ways, with 34 per cent preferring to do this online. And this wasn’t just young people. Twenty-six per cent of over-55s thought they would be able to see their GP via webcam in 10 years’ time, compared with
27 per cent of 18-24 year olds.
We now take the ability to shop, bank, compare and switch services and socialise online for granted. And with 44 per cent of mobile phone users estimated to have access to the internet via their handset, we increasingly expect to be able to do these things on the move.
Where the NHS has embraced such innovation, the results have been startling. The number of missed appointments fell by half at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge when text message reminders were introduced. Think of the impact if this approach could be extended so that, for example, patients with long-term conditions who frequently have to visit their doctors to receive test results, or supply self-monitored results such as blood sugar levels, could do it securely by email.
The Department of Health’s Information Strategy consultation will also explore how raw data on the quality of services can be opened up so that a range of organisations can use it to cater for different audiences. Where user-driven sites such as Tripadvisor and Mumsnet have led as powerful advocates for consumers, health information and services can follow to empower patients and families.
We need to ensure that no one is excluded, which is why it is crucial that patients can exercise choice about how they communicate with doctors and access services. Many people interact with the same service in a variety of ways, depending on what they are trying to do. As a bank customer you can decide to check your balance online, pay bills by phone and pop into a branch to discuss an issue face to face. Those who want to access information and services online should be helped. My campaign, Race Online 2012, is working to make sure that the nine million Britons, many from the most deprived backgrounds, who have never used the internet can get online and experience the benefits of doing so.
Using technology flexibly for the convenience of patients and those who treat them can free up time for invaluable face-to-face contact for those who need it. In these difficult economic times, the efficiency gains in delivering some services digitally can ensure that we maintain the quality of service for everyone. But as important as any gains in efficiency, there is a bigger prize: patients who are armed with more information and are actively involved in their care, which can only lead to better health outcomes.
Telegraph UK