TECHNOLOGY
Securing a positive technology legacy
The Health Foundation has published research on users’ views on the use of technology during the pandemic. While the responses were largely positive, not everyone was convinced that the increased use of technology represented ‘quality care’. The Foundation has outlined the key priorities to ensure successful deployment of healthcare technology, after the pandemic, and will be supporting the evaluation of models for virtual care.
During the pandemic, there has been an increased NHS use of both established and newer technologies to reduce face-to- face contact and manage demand. This has included the use of phone and video consultations in primary and secondary care; wider use of devices and apps for remote working at home (including as part of virtual wards); the NHS app for appointment booking and patient record access; the rollout of video conferencing software to enable collaboration and peer-to-peer support for clinical decision-making; as well as the use of AI-driven image analysis to help diagnose and monitor the progression of COVID-19. Although the NHS has previously attracted criticism for being slow to adopt
and rollout new technologies, recent developments show that it can do so at impressive pace and scale when conditions allow and staff are empowered to make change happen. Responding to these developments, the Government published a white paper, Integration and Innovation, working together to improve health and social care for all, in which it stated: “The response to COVID-19… has shown us new ways to deliver care using innovative and creative solutions, exploiting the potential of digital and data, instead of needless bureaucracy. We must not go back to the old ways of working. The gains made through these new approaches must be locked in.”1
But what do users feel about the switch to digital technologies and how should we evaluate the impact on care quality? Research published by the Health Foundation has found that around three fifths of NHS users increased their use of technology to access care during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic and an overwhelming majority of these (83%) viewed their experience positively. However, when asked to compare these technology-enabled approaches to traditional models of care, 42% of these NHS users who had increased their use of technology said they made for worse quality of care, highlighting the need for technology implemented during the pandemic to be developed and improved before the Government goes ahead with its ambition of ‘locking in’ new innovations. The Health Foundation’s report, Securing a positive healthcare technology legacy from COVID-19,2
informed by YouGov
online surveys of over 4,000 UK adults and over 1,000 NHS staff, found a similar pattern among NHS staff surveyed. While 78% of those whose organisation had increased its use of technology reported positive experiences, 33% also said these approaches made for worse quality of care compared to traditional models. Commenting on the findings in the
report, Tim Horton, the Health Foundation’s assistant director of improvement, said: “Given the immense pressure the NHS has been under, it is impressive that so many patients and staff reported positive experiences as new technologies were rolled out. However, the fast pace at which they were introduced means that important steps – such as evaluation and co-design with patients – will necessarily
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WWW.CLINICALSERVICESJOURNAL.COM MAY 2021
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