This report is a summary of the fourth year of a project in which Healthwatch Norfolk was asked to look at digital access and how tools like apps and websites can help in healthcare.
The focus was on two groups with lower registration rates of the NHS App in the East of England: young people 16–30 and older adults 65 and above. We also examined patient awareness and staff use of the Shared Care Record, a system that brings together the most important records from the different organisations involved in an individual’s care.
We found that while awareness of the app was high, a number of barriers exist that are preventing both age groups from engaging fully with it. These include young people not being aware of its full features and being put off by an outdated design, while older people struggle with registration and navigation of the app and often prefer in-person contact with health services.
Most people told us they were unaware of the Shared Care Record and concerns were also raised by GP staff about sufficient training, challenges around integration with other platforms and confidence levels in using the system.
On the basis of the feedback received we have made the following recommendations:
- Raise awareness of the NHS App by promoting it through trusted, familiar channels, using age-appropriate messaging that highlights its personal and practical benefits.
- Deliver a more integrated, user-friendly, and personalised NHS App experience for all users.
- Provide tailored technical help for older people including jargon-free printed guides, real-time phone support and offline promotion of in-person assistance available at GP surgeries and in libraries.
- Improve GP practice staff competence and confidence in the Shared Care Record by offering practical, role-specific, and mandatory training, and by addressing integration challenges.
- Build public awareness and trust in the Shared Care Record through a targeted, multi-channel approach that clearly communicates its benefits, how data is used and kept safe, as well as how consent is managed.
