A new report from the Digital Coalition reveals that while English patients like the NHS app, some users find the information they can access limited.
THE report is based on the results of a survey conducted by the Patient Coalition for AI, Data and Digital Tech in Health – also known as the Digital Coalition. More than 600 people from across England responded to the survey.
Seventy-eight per cent of those surveyed said they use the NHS app, with 81 per cent of this group saying it was easy to use and 70 per cent agreeing it was a valuable tool. However, picking up on its limitations, 39 percent said they would like to have the functionality to access test results, and 36 percent said they would like to have the ability to access personal health records via the application, which they are not currently able to do.
Although NHS England aims to make these features available to all users of the NHS app, some GP practices have prevented access to this information.
Almost a quarter of people surveyed (23%) said they rarely or never use the NHS app due to technical issues, including downloading the app, accessing a smartphone, registration and connection. Of this group, more than a third (36%) said they did not want to get involved with technology or see the benefits of using it and would rather talk to a person instead.
Rachel Power, chief executive of the Patients' Association, said: “We are pleased that NHS England have already made some changes to the app since the coalition carried out the survey and hope they will use our findings to further improve usability and look into reports that some users are not cannot get the information they want. It is therefore important that future development of the application takes into account the obstacles highlighted by this research.
NHS England has recently introduced some new features to extend the functionality of the NHS app. These include estimated wait times for treatments and prescription details. The latter has already proven popular with 2.7 million people accessing the prescription function in the first two months since its introduction.
The Digital Coalition made several recommendations based on the results of its survey. This includes raising awareness of the NHS app and providing universal access to information through it. They also suggest making it easier to use, reassuring users about data security, providing clear instructions for using the application and explaining the different health applications available.
NHS England is responsible for developing the NHS app and is also a member of the Digital Coalition. Dr Vin Diwakar, Acting National Director for Transformation at NHS England, said: “We are encouraged to see that most people find the NHS app useful in helping them manage their care or those they support. care. Valuable insights into why some patients struggle to access and use the NHS app, combined with existing research activity, provide us with a strong evidence base on which to focus our improvements.