The National Engagement on Digital Health and Social Care is taking place, and we want to hear what professionals in these areas have to say about digital health and social care.
The National Engagement on Digital Health and Social Care is a collaboration between HIQA, the Department of Health, and the Health Service Executive (HSE). Through this project, we want to identify the wants, needs, and readiness of professionals across health and social care for digital health and social care. In addition, we want to learn about professionals’ attitudes to the public having digital access to their own information. We are also looking at the public’s wants, needs, and readiness for digital health and social care.
The engagement is being carried out in the context of many changes:
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- EU targets for the public to have electronic access to their medical records by 2030
- The proposal for a regulation on the European Health Data Space
- The General Scheme of the Health Information Bill
- Sláintecare health reform goals to use digital technologies in health and social care.
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Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic brought changes in how people interact with services for example through booking vaccination appointments online, recording positive tests on the HSE website, or having vaccination certificates on smart phones. Health professionals carried out consultations on video or telephone calls rather than having in-person appointments. In addition, the cyber-attack in the HSE brought about potential changes in attitudes to eHealth information technologies.
A telephone survey with members of the public ran through June and July 2023 to gain their views on the topic. We are now inviting professionals in health and social care to participate in an online survey from 4 September. The survey will be available on www.hiqa.ie and will be live for five weeks.
The online survey is aimed at seven groups of professionals who are either registered with or members of:
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- CORU (Ireland’s multi-profession health regulator)
- The Dental Council of Ireland
- The Medical Council
- The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland
- The Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland
- The Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council
- The Psychological Society of Ireland.
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If you are registered with or are a member of one of these groups, we want to hear your views.
The online survey will be followed by focus groups with professionals in health and social care including those working in administration, management, and ICT. These will take place towards the end of 2023.
The findings of the national engagement will be used by HIQA, the Department of Health, and the HSE to inform the development of recommendations, strategies, policies, and legislation in relation to digital health and social care.
For more information and to complete the survey from 4 September, visit www.hiqa.ie