What does this mean for libraries?
If a Digital Health Champions Network is created as recommended, this could be a way for library staff to gain recognition as providers of digital literacy support. The availability of good practice examples and suggested teaching plans could help library staff provide better support both to colleagues and to patients.
The existing Digital Champions Network already provides e-learning on how to provide digital literacy support – the report makes the point that digitally-skilled people may not always connect instinctively with someone who is new or lacking in confidence, and so having e-learning and guidance on how to provide support in a way that builds confidence is important. Unfortunately, the existing Digital Champions Network is currently open to sponsoring organisations only.
NHS LKS staff are already supporting the digital health literacy agenda in a number of ways, for example by demonstrating health apps, or signposting to good-quality health information resources. Some of this is during events such as Health Information Week and may involve partnering with public libraries, and some will be to staff within their organisations as LKS staff meet the recommendations of the Topol Review.
Source: Digital Unite and NHS Digital
Date of publication: February 2020
Summary of driver:
This report was produced by Digital Unite and commissioned by NHS Digital as part of a project exploring a national model for digital champions in health. It is estimated that 8% of people in the UK could remain digitally disadvantaged in 2030 unless there is a big increase in the provision of digital support, and many of these people will be heavy users of health and social care.
Digital Unite provides vocational training and support for digital champions, and has worked with over 200 organisations (in areas such as social housing, charity and social care) to train over 6,000 digital champions.
A Digital Champion is someone who helps others to understand the benefits of being online and can spend some time showing them how. They may be staff or volunteers and they may also be friends and family members.
Digital Champions can provide ongoing digital skills support that could include signposting, hands-on help, or tuition in certain tasks such as sending an email. Health is a common topic of support for digital champions, even for those that work outside of health. There were specific issues raised around providing digital health support, such as confidentiality, dealing with people that are anxious about their health, and safeguarding issues.
The project found that though there are digital health champions projects already underway, these were ad hoc with no shared learning between them, and there is no specific training or repository of good practice available for digital health champions. A key recommendation is to start a specific Digital Health Champions Network (building on the existing Digital Champions Networks) to give local projects access to guides, learning, online forums and other resources. This online platform would also allow for recording details of digital health champions, numbers of interventions, and impact data.
Tagged: digital literacy, health literacy