Improving on-line health information for Gloucestershire Gina Mann – Project Manager

Do we need a local health website? 29% of the population have a long term condition ‘people are looking to websites, digital sources and apps for health information.’ The Patient Information Forum* Search engines such as ‘Google’ - assured, credible? Lots of National websites - not local Need to let people know about the support in the community Information can be accessed within your own home Health care professionals can sign post Not re-invent the wheel – use what is useful from other sites, links, tailor, localise and add where there are gaps Google - find a confusing, which is not always quality assured, could give unsafe or conflicting advice. not clear what is available to them locally. NHS Choices - 27 million visits to their site a month. Half agree that the site helps them manage their symptoms and appropriately visit their GP**. Annual Report for NHS Choices,2013. ASAP – 9,000 app downloads. Help Practices with their websites – they could link to ours and know that it is kept up to date

What types of information? Health conditions explained Where to go for urgent care Symptoms explained What to expect from your care journey Link to ASAP Treatments explained Link to NHS Choices Volunteering Website – Link to existing Local health services National and Local support groups & voluntary services Carers Information Glos County Council Link to existing directory of services Link to condition specific sites e.g.Diabetes Uk Will link from PRACTICE WEBSITES, Provider websites, Council, Leisure Centres, Libraries, any local relevant website, Health watch, etc Exercise information Self Management information Healthy Eating Mental Wellbeing GCC – Healthy Lifestyles service & Self Care Tools Links to videos, patient experiences Link to 2gether MH Trust website

What could we include ? You tube videos

On-line community forums NHS Choices On-line Community Forums

What could we include ? Links to national information Links to local information The reason this is different to other websites is that we will include local information for Gloucestershire. Gloucestershire Self Harm Telephone Support Craft for Health - Tewkesbury Families in Mind - Gloucester Freeing the Mind group - Gloucester Independence MH Trust

The use of lot of NHS Choices information for their content for symptoms, diagnosis etc however they do have a more local directory of information which also pulls in information from the internet so

Risks and Issues Getting people to use it Not all people use the internet Accessibility Keeping it up to date and relevant

The project so far Gathering views from patients and health care professionals Looking at what is already in existence Learning from others Survey – 3 minutes to complete! https://www.snapsurveys.com/wh/s.asp?k=147437797898 (by end of November) Ask for their help in completing the survey – any one wanting to part of the patient ref group then please let me know