Working with GP Practices to build the digital skills of patients

The One Digital partner projects based at local Age UK, Citizens Online, Digital Unite and SCVO came together to discuss working in GP Practices in November 2018.

Partners had a variety of experiences linked to improving patient uptake of online GP services.  These included:

• Setting up and running Digital Champion projects within practices;  
• Surveying patients in practices to improve understanding of patient attitudes to online services; 
• Patient use of health Apps.   

Project learning points were: 

• Practices have varied levels of patient engagement with digital services.  
• Targets for increasing patient sign up can incentivise practice engagement with Digital Champion projects.   
• Building on existing relationships with GP practices provides positive opportunities for engagement.  
• The quality and accessibility of patient online systems impacts on patient engagement.   
• Practice promotion of online services can help with patient engagement with Digital Champions. 
• Offering Wi-Fi and access to a computer supports online engagement. 
• Patient use of health apps is varied – training for staff and Digital Champions would improve patient take up.  

The full report includes some useful top tips for working within primary care health practices, and a section of resources & information to help projects looking to work in health settings.

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Update : Age UK have now produced a handbook on How to set up digital inclusion project in GP Surgeries