The ESRC Festival of Social Science (FoSS) is an annual initiative that celebrates the social sciences and aims to engage research community and non-academic audiences in promoting the value of social sciences and engagement in social science research.
This year the Festival took place between Saturday 19 October 2024 and Saturday 9 November 2024, with a series of events across the festival period themed around ‘our digital lives’ and the relationship between humans and digital technology.
Events were held nationwide to address some of the most vital issues facing society today, from health and wellbeing to crime, equality, education and identity.
As part of the FoSS University of Leicester celebrations, the Centre for Ethnic Health Research (CEHR) successfully secured funding to deliver three bespoke digital health literacy workshops. These interactive sessions, titled Healthy Bytes, were held at community locations and aimed to address knowledge gaps and digital exclusion within South Asian and Black communities.
The CEHR partnered with a local charity, Reaching People, who delivered the 2-hour workshops where participants from South Asian and Black communities could build their confidence in using the NHS App. Each training session on the functionality of the NHS App was delivered in a culturally appropriate setting, with a bilingual interpreter present to assist participants whose first language was not English.
Trained volunteers were on hand to provide one-to-one support to help participants access GP online services, book and change appointments, view health records and request repeat prescriptions. Participants were also taught how to seek reliable health information, addressing the prevalence of fake health stories online. Further one-to-one sessions were offered for those that needed extra support.
Research has highlighted a digital divide among South Asian and Black communities, showing that individuals from these communities often face barriers to accessing healthcare services and are unaware of the various options available to them. This may be due to lack of computer literacy, economic and financial barriers, confidence, and affordability of technological equipment.
Therefore, by delivering culturally tailored training and health education on utilising technology to book NHS appointments, request repeat prescriptions, access reliable health information, and navigate healthcare services in both emergency and non-emergency situations, the project aimed to bridge the digital divide by enhancing participants’ skills and digital literacy.
Many participants reported that they felt more confident and were now able to access NHS services through the NHS App, avoiding the frustration of waiting in long telephone queues. They also mentioned that participating in the sessions gave them greater assurance when using NHS services, registering for the NHS App, and understanding what GP and NHS online services can be used for.
Here is some of the feedback:
‘Really enjoyed coming today to learn about the NHS App. I will benefit from the extra one-to-one support, and once I have received it, I definitely will be using the App’
‘Good training and with the use of Nipa (Gujarati interpreter) we could understand the NHS App registration process, which is complicated. Thank you’