Conversation starters: Simon Town, Roots of Ygdrassil/ Rachel Benn, Leeds Libraries 

These two conversations had a big overlap in subject matter, so the groups joined together. 

There is an overwhelming need to use technology to better serve and connect our communities. But how do we get people to engage with digital health services in the first place? 

The group agreed that a bad experience with technology might put people off. How do you build that person back up and get their confidence back? How do we know that what we are downloading is safe and from a trusted source? How do we stop our devices being clogged up with apps we don’t need? Is there a way to determine which would be the most useful app for us, to personalise?  

 We referred back to the earlier conversation about triaging services (Annis Cordy’s conversation about referrals across services) and wondered if a similar flowchart model might work here too. 

Conversation turned to using the human element to help adoption. What about events in the local area that could create a point of contact? Digital hubs, somewhere for people to go and help them do things online? Could the younger generation get involved and show the older generation how to use technology better? A knowledge exchange. 

We were left unsure about how to bring the human element to people who are unable to leave the house to engage with hubs and other drop-ins. How can we best serve them and ensure they are happy and confident using digital solutions?