Residents across Norfolk broadly support the expansion of digital tools across local healthcare services, but require assurances about trust, accessibility, data security and the presence of human interaction in care, according to our latest report.
Commissioned by NHS Norfolk and Suffolk Integrated Care Board, this year’s report – the fifth in our ongoing project exploring patient and professional experiences of digital tools in care – assessed people’s views of the NHS App, the new Electronic Patient Record (EPR), the proposed Single Patient Record (SPR), artificial intelligence (AI), and other emerging digital technologies in healthcare. The research also focused on understanding the experiences of groups who may be at greater risk of digital exclusion.
The findings are based on a survey completed by 343 people across Norfolk and Waveney, alongside four focus groups involving 21 participants, including disabled people, people experiencing financial hardship, and those with English as an Additional Language.
Strong support for Electronic Patient Records
We found there was widespread support for the introduction of the Electronic Patient Record (EPR), which will replace paper records across Norfolk and Waveney’s acute hospitals.
People recognised a number of potential benefits, including providing quicker access to information, improving coordination between services, supporting safer and faster clinical decision-making, and reducing the need for patients to repeatedly explain their medical history.
Many participants said their confidence in the system would depend on robust data security, reliable technology, adequate staff training and clear communication about how patient information will be managed and protected.
NHS App awareness
Awareness and use of the NHS App was generally high among survey respondents, with many people valuing access to GP records, test results, prescriptions and information about appointments and referrals.
However, a number of participants expressed a preference for contacting healthcare services by telephone or in person, particularly when seeking reassurance, discussing complex health issues or arranging care. This suggests that people often see digital services as complementing, rather than replacing, traditional communications methods.
The report also identified a range of barriers affecting uptake and ongoing use of the NHS App. These included registration and login difficulties, navigation challenges and concerns about privacy and security.
Digital exclusion remains a concern
People at greater risk of digital exclusion described additional challenges when using digital platforms.
Disabled participants reported challenges with accessibility and navigation, while those experiencing financial hardship highlighted the cost of devices and problems with internet access. Those with English as an Additional Language described language barriers and needing to rely on family members or translation tools to access information independently.
Across all groups, the research found that when the effort required to use digital services outweighed the perceived benefit, people were more likely to disengage and return to non-digital routes.
AI and healthcare
While participants were generally supportive of the expansion of digital tools in healthcare, attitudes towards artificial intelligence were more cautious.
People were most comfortable with AI being used to support NHS staff, such as assisting diagnosis, analysing scans or helping explain test results. However, support declined significantly when AI was perceived as replacing clinician involvement.
Many participants emphasised the importance of maintaining human oversight, professional judgement and accountability when moving forward with the use of AI in the NHS.
Conclusion
Overall, we found there was an acceptance of the increasing digitalisation of healthcare amongst those we spoke to, with participants recognising the potential for technology to improve access to services, support self-management and enhance coordination of care.
However, people consistently stressed the importance of maintaining patient choice and ensuring that those unable, or unwilling, to use digital services are not left behind. Concerns about cybersecurity, data privacy, system reliability and the potential loss of human interaction also remained prominent throughout the research.
Based on the findings, Healthwatch Norfolk has made a number of recommendations, including prioritising consistency and accessibility in digital services, maintaining patient choice, and building trust through transparency and accountability.
Read the full report here.