A look at digital literacy in health and social care

Health-care services need to maximise the potential of technology to enhance patient care. The improved digital literacy of the workforce is vital in this. Technology enhanced learning, applied to all aspects of education and training, including the development of digital capabilities in all learners, can offer greater flexibility, accessibility, collaboration, innovation and more effective communication and participation. The health and social care workforce need both the digital skills and confidence across a range of domains. Increasingly, citizens are digitally enabled and empowered; raising expectations of capability and innovation, relating to their health and wellbeing aspirations. Working with a national definition and digital capabilities framework, staff working in health and social care can begin to think about how they might want to improve their own digital literacy. In addition, organisations require the leadership, strategy and culture to support the acquisition of digital capabilities in their staff, as well as more general technology enhanced learning. Rewarding and valuing staff, and working in partnership with them in their learning, organisations need to be working to build a digitally ready workforce.