Digital and Assistive Technologies
Digital technology is changing how we interact and driving expectations for how services, including medical services, are delivered. We are exploring these changes with a view to improving service delivery, both in the UK and low resource settings elsewhere, taking into account the ethical and social dimensions of how new services are provided.
Current projects include:
This exploratory project is mapping mobile consulting provision - everything from major providers of services to local practitioners providing access by mobile phone - in Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Bangladesh and Pakistan, and consulting with community members and policy makers on its potential for improving access to healthcare for poor and spatially marginalised communities.
NIHR Global Health Research Unit on Improving Health in Slums
We are mapping access to healthcare in slums of Nigeria, Kenya, Bangladesh and Pakistan including digital access. From these findings we will develop innovation in healthcare provision to improve health in slums.
Healthcare workers’ perceptions and experience on using mHealth technologies to deliver primary healthcare services: qualitative evidence synthesis
Review registered with the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organisation of Care Group
Using online patient experience data to benefit health care practice and improve health outcomes PhD Project
Social impact of digital access to sexually transmitted infection self-sampling PhD project
Recently completed projects include:
We studied 20 clinical teams using digital communication with their patients in the UK. From this we have developed multi-media guidance and training for health professionals and patients. Please see project website.
Frances E Griffiths, Xavier Armoiry, Helen Atherton, Carol Bryce, Abigail Buckle, Jonathan AK Cave, Rachel Court, Kathryn Hamilton, Thandiwe Rebecca Dliwayo, Melina Dritsaki, Patrick Elder, Vera Forjaz, Joe Fraser, Richard Goodwin, Caroline Huxley, Agnieszka Ignatowicz, Eleni Karasouli, Sung Wook Kim, Peter Kimani, Jason J Madan, Harjit Matharu, Mike May, Luhanga Musumadi, Moli Paul, Gyanu Raut, Sailesh Sankaranarayanan, Anne-Marie Slowther, Mark A Sujan, Paul A Sutcliffe, Isabelle Svahnstrom, Frances Taggart, Ayesha Uddin, Alice Verran, Leigh Walker and Jackie Sturt. 2018 The role of digital communication in patient-clinician communication for NHS providers of specialist clinical services for young people (The LYNC study): a mixed methods study Health Services and Delivery Research. Vol 6; number 9. https://doi.org/10.3310/hsdr06090
Ignatowicz A, Slowther A-M, Elder P, Bryce C, Hamilton K, Huxley C, Forjaz V, Sturt J, Griffiths F. Ethical implications of digital communication for the patient-clinician relationship: analysis of interviews with clinicians and young adults with long term conditions (the LYNC study). 2018 BMC Medical Ethics 19:11 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12910-018-0250-0
Watkins, Jocelyn, Goudge, Jane, Gómez-Olivé, F. Xavier, Griffiths, Frances. 2018. Mobile phone use among patients and health workers to enhance primary healthcare : a qualitative study in rural South Africa. Social Science & Medicine, View
Armoiry, Xavier, Sturt, Jackie, Phelps, Emma Elizabeth, Walker, Clare, Court, Rachel A., Taggart, Frances M., Sutcliffe, P. (Paul), Griffiths, Frances, Atherton, Helen. 2018. Digital clinical communication for families and caregivers of children or young people with short- or long-term conditions: rapid review. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 20 (1), View
Anstey Watkins, Jocelyn, Goudge, Jane, Gómez-Olivé, F. Xavier, Huxley, Caroline J., Dodd, Katherine, Griffiths, Frances. 2018. mHealth text and voice communication for monitoring people with chronic diseases in low-resource settings : a realist review. BMJ Global Health, View
Phelps E, Wellings R, Griffiths F, Hutchinson C, Kunar M. 2017 Do medical images aid understanding and recall of medical information? An experimental study comparing the experience of viewing no image, a 2D medical image and a 3D medical image alongside a diagnosis. Patient Education and Counselling. Patient Educ Couns. 2017 Jun;100(6):1120-1127. doi: 10.1016/j.pec.2016.12.034. Epub 2016 Dec 30.
Thomas G, Roberts J, Griffiths F. 2017 Ultrasound as a technology of reassurance?: How pregnant women and health care professionals articulate ultrasound reassurance and its limitations. Sociology of Health and Illness. 39(6): 893–907 DOI: 10.1111/1467-9566.12554
Sorell, T Draper, H Telecare, surveillance and the welfare state. American Journal of Bioethics 2012 12 (9):36-44
Draper, H., Sorell, T. Telecare, remote monitoring and care. Bioethics 2013 27(7): 365-372