WellNet Interactive Website

WellNet Interactive Website 

www.sbpct.nhs.uk

NHS South Birmingham has recently launched a new interactive website offering up-to-date information on health services and laying the foundations for offering healthcare services online. We have created the new website as a direct result of patient and clinical demand. In one recent survey, South Birmingham residents were asked how they would prefer to receive information on health and healthcare services with the second most popular answer being that they would like to receive information through websites and the internet. 

On 23 March 2009 www.sbpct.nhs.uk was officially launched to the public. The website represents a big change in how the local NHS uses the internet for communications and engagement.  We are using web-based health tools that support people to manage and improve their own health, with personalised content and platforms for interaction amongst healthcare professionals and members of the public.

Changes in the health care system coupled with increased use of the Internet have resulted in heavier reliance on the Internet for disease and health education. Additionally, the growing trend of social networking as a means for patients and their families to learn about an illness, seek and offer support, and connect with others in similar circumstances, shed light on an opportunity for South Birmingham.

In addition to important health information, the new website takes a social networking style approach to sharing information and offers discussion forums, document sharing and interactive polls for users to feedback on—be it on health issues, areas of concern, or other information they would like to see on the site, through WellNet. 

WellNet is a portal to the interactive features of the website, allowing users to tailor their experience by joining online communities and customising the site to their own preferences and interests. The site provides proactive health tools such as a detailed and health specific online health check with localised advice and resources.

Need to add something about this linking to NHS Choices and other health sites – not replicating.

WellTV

Digital Signage within General Practice

NHS South Birmingham recognises that people want easier access to information about health and care, and GP practices are eager in playing a role in supporting this. One of the ways we are doing this is via an exciting network of digital signage enabled 42” plasma TVs within each GP practice. The network will be made up of a number of channels, each with its own schedule to reflect a different focus of information. This will allow practices to significantly tailor the programming to the needs and desires of your practice’s patients. 

For example a channel that contains diabetes specific information which could be played when there is a diabetes clinic within the surgery. Equally there could be a channel aimed at parents with young children which could be played at appropriate times. 

Promoting health is often about promoting lifestyle change, and the new TV network aims to recognise this by providing a balance of factual information (such as health updates, local service information and consultations) with, human interest stories. Short films following various real south Birmingham patients, staff stories, and even features such as healthy cooking shows, are all possibilities with our digital signage system. 

Each individual surgery will have local control over which channel is on at what time, alongside areas of the screen where they can add their own surgery specific information and updates.

Our Wellnet TV content will also be available on line.