DaSH-Global is an agency based in the UK which specialises in real-world digital methodologies through a vision of building collaborative "disruptive" transformational research models from "joined up" health care ( linking into health service infrastructures). We recently tested a prototype of our Patient Companion tool which allows patients to enter and track outcomes which are important to them. Using a Patient Public Involvement (PPI) forum we were able to explain what our digital companion was and how to engage with it. Patients then participated in round table discussions to explore likes and dislikes, what should be added and what should be removed or changed. Through these discussions and before committing to the expense of developing a fully functioning tool, we get a good idea how successful our digital companion might be and how we should go about re-shaping it to provide the necessary improvements sought.
The results from the PPI were a great indicator that the Patient Companion tool meets their needs and that patients were hugely supportive of the digital companion idea. As you can see from the tables below, patients agreed very strongly with the statements for why they would want to engage, and were more than willing to enter data into the tool regularly and over a considerable period of time.
To find out more about this initiative and other ways that DaSH-Global are delivering on the promise of digital health go to http://www.dash-global.com/copy-of-discussion-paper-fair-data