SOL Connect, and the technology we offer, is part of a wider and ever-growing digital healthcare landscape. Find out how you can take part in shaping the future of digital healthcare…


How do we all get involved in shaping, or even creating, the products of the future that truly meet our health and care needs?

Citizens, people, you and me, are being encouraged to take part in shaping the public services that keep our cities working, our transport moving and improve our health and wellbeing. At the same time digital technologies are having a strong influence on how our services are delivered and managed.

The number of digital health and care products and services is growing. We can now wear devices to track our sleep and measure our vital signs while 3D printers are creating artificial limbs. How do we ensure that people, living with long term conditions and disadvantaged by inequalities in health, are participants and beneficiaries of digitally-enabled health and care? What does this mean for Scottish businesses? If people are to participate in this growing market, what role does the third sector play?

Scottish Enterprise and the Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland (the ALLIANCE) commissioned a report to begin addressing these questions.

It was a timely enquiry. During the three month period of developing the report the Scottish Government held its Participation Week > and launched a National Conversation >on health and social care services in Scotland the Institute for Public Policy Research published its report Improved circulation: Unleashing innovation across the NHS >  the Innovation and Prosperity for Scotland conference took place in Edinburgh  The New Reality report > considered the need for the third sector to transform its approach to using digital tools, the NHS in England launched its innovation accelerator programme > and the 2015 Lloyds UK Business Digital Index > revealed that over half of charities are currently lacking basic digital skills.

Interest in citizen participation and health innovation is growing rapidly, with digital tools and services at the heart of much of it. 2016 will be Scotland’s Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design and Dundee will be the UNESCO City of Design.

The report shares examples of people-powered innovation and highlights the enablers and barriers which support and hinder Scottish businesses from tapping into the potential of our greatest assets – the ideas and life experiences of citizens.

This report was officially launched at the ALLIANCE December networking event. Click here > to read the storify from the event.

 

To be directed to the ALLIANCE website, and to view the report, click here.

 

Curated from Digital Health & Care Institute – Home Page