Promoting Access to Digital in Mental Health Care #Digital #DigitalHealth #NHSdigital

Promoting Digital Access in Mental Health Care New research from East London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT) highlights a stark reality: 1 in 3 people accessing secondary mental health services are not daily internet users and face significant barriers related to skills, affordability, and health conditions. Our report, “Promoting Digital Access Among People Using Mental Health Services,” finds that people require greater focus on developing trust, providing guidance, and ongoing support to ensure digital services are accessible and equitable for all.  With the NHS accelerating its transition "from analogue to digital", we needed to hear from our service users about their views on digital technology and how digital transformation is impacting them. There are significant issues with digital poverty and the digital skills gap in society; however, there is a shortage of data on how people accessing mental health care are experiencing the digital age.  Our report explores the social, economic, and clinical factors that shape digital exclusion, including age, income, education, ethnicity, employment, sensory impairments, and the “digital triggers” that may affect people’s ability or willingness to engage with technology.  The report finds significant variability in digital use between primary and secondary mental health care service users, and provides insights on factors enhancing their digital behaviours and developing trust in adopting digital health services.   ELFT's Executive  Edwin Ndlovu MBE, COO & Deputy CEO, East London NHS Foundation Trust, wrote: “Digital technologies will empower our service users and staff to improve health and meet rising demand. However, we must ensure our services are accessible and inclusive so that no one is left behind.” Over the coming months, we are excited to share how we are building patient readiness for digital health and the outcomes responding to the report findings.  People's relationship with digital is no longer a “nice-to-have”; digital skills are now essential to thrive in the modern world, and to be confident consumers of the digital health environment. If the #NHS is to deliver equitable digital transformation and succeed with digital health, patient engagement and digital inclusion must be at the centre of the conversation.  📄 Read the full report - https://www.elft.nhs.uk/get-involved/people-participation/ppdc/promoting-digital-access #Digital #DigitalHealth #NHSdigital #Digitalinclusion #mentalhealth #Digitalexclusion #Patientengagement #patientempowerment Video chapters Intro - 00:00 New study - 00:32 What we found - 00:58 Service user response - 01:51 Solutions - 02:07 What's next - 02:29 Learn more - 02:59 Outro - 03:12