Digital & person-centred care

Digital inclusion is person-centred, not technology-centred. This means that supporting people online is all about understanding their individual needs, circumstances and motivations. Remember: digital is a tool to help enable people. It’s about finding ways for it to fit into their lives.

Gaining insight into what kind of support someone needs is key. These needs should guide your approach to digital inclusion. Each person will have a different skill and confidence level, and you will need to evaluate their base level to understand what support they will need. Some key steps to take are below:

Illustration credit: Tessa Mackenzie

Find out what access the person you are supporting has to devices and connectivity.

It’s a good idea to have a conversation about access to devices and internet connectivity. Some people might have access to a device, but it’s important to understand if their device is right for them and for what they will be accessing in relation to the digital health and care service or intervention and how often they are able to access the internet. People’s skills and confidence improve when they have sustained, regular access to technology.

Understand the digital skills and confidence of the person you are supporting.

Understanding their skills and confidence with digital will guide the kind of support you offer. Try using the SCVO Essential Digital Skills Check-up to get a sense of where to begin.

Understand the risks which may come up for the person accessing support and help them to overcome barriers by making safe and informed decisions when using online services.

There are lots of reasons why the person you are supporting might not want to engage online, or why going online might be more risky for them than other people. It’s always worth having this discussion so you can make your support relevant. Check out the section on digital harms and online safety for more information.

Focus on things that motivate them.

We call this ‘finding the hook’. Understanding what interests or adds value to the everyday life of the person you are supporting will make their engagement with digital more meaningful. You could ask about hobbies or health/wellbeing goals/outcomes - that will open a whole range of opportunities for digital.

Know when, and when not, to use digital

Digital can be a great enabler for providing care and promoting self-management. However, it's important to know when it's most useful. In some settings practitioners may be cautious over privacy, confidentiality, and missing critical clues e.g. suicidal ideation in digital settings. It's important to assess how and where digital tools are used. Digital should never be absolute, and it can used to provide hybrid support. For example, someone may start in-person appointments and then have some via NearMe. This hybrid approach should centre on the principle of choice and the ability to switch back to in-person when requested or necessary.

The ALLIANCE, Scottish Care and VoX have developed 5 principles for how human rights should be respected when using technology in a health and social care setting. This short video explains these 5 principles:

Read more about the 5 principles here.