forward to seeing the outcomes on targeted communities including increased uptake of interventions in due course .
Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement
Continuing the digital theme , we were pleased to lead a collaboration with Boehringer Ingelheim UK , the Health Innovation Network and the University of Plymouth to explore and share best practice in patient and public involvement and engagement ( PPIE ) in digital health innovation and adoption . PPIE can lead to more effective and appropriate deployment of innovation , improved access , experience and ultimately , better patient outcomes . Healthcare transformation should not be done to patients , but with them . Without effective engagement , patients can often reject technology , delaying impact and resulting in a lack of trust in the products . The project resulted in the production of the first evidence-based guide for PPIE in health tech innovation , designed to support clinicians , innovators and patient communities .
48 Transforming Lives Through Innovation
Last year , we won a commission from the AAC to develop a model for systematically gathering patient experience and insights , and ensure that it is woven into innovation uptake and adoption planning via an applied PPIE framework . This is a fantastic opportunity to shine a light on the value of working with patients , and how they can help shape an approach to ensure inclusivity at a time when health inequalities are in sharp focus .
Working with the Yorkshire and Humber Applied Research Collaboration as our independent evaluation partner , we carried out a gap analysis to understand the current opportunities for patient engagement for the five MedTech Funding Mandate and Rapid Uptake Products to support the development of the new framework . Through semi-structured interviews with patients who have experienced use of the innovations , we were able to understand areas for improvement which will enhance and improve adoption plans for innovations in the future .
The Digital Divide : Reducing inequalities for better health
What the pandemic highlighted , along with the huge inequalities across digital access and health , are the myriad potential benefits of digital healthcare . However , we must be mindful that digital transformation can widen healthcare inequalities . We worked with our partners at Public Policy Projects to gain an understanding from senior stakeholders and experts in digital poverty , the access and skills disparities faced by deprived communities and the prioritisation required from our ICSs and local authorities to tackle the issue . The report was published in October 2022 and makes a series of practical recommendations to help ICSs harness the digital advancements that have been made in health and care since the start of the pandemic . The findings also suggest that unequal access to digital care and uneven digital skillsets could exacerbate health inequalities , a trend the report describes as a digital divide .