Digital futures for health

As more and more people of all ages become more literate and involved in more complex ways on the internet, the role of digital services and infrastructure has become increasingly integral to the provision of all kinds of services, and essential for others.

Even the most 'analogue' services and traditionalist propositions - those that hold face-to-face and human contact above all else - are utilising the internet to streamline processes, make data more transparent and intelligent and empowering front-line workers and users by providing ubiquous access to information.

Red prototyped 'activmobs' services to establish and support communities organised online to live more active lifestyles and have access to health experts and facilities.

Which is why health provides such an interesting proposition for the burgeoning service design community. There have been some excellent emerging health services, which due to their complex, lifelong and sometimes critical nature require a whole spectrum of touchpoints besides a digital infrastructure.

Services are shifting focus from purely cost-saving, reducing staffing overheads by digitising processes and steering their customers online, to a win-win situation which truly drives better experiences for their users. It provides a number of shortcuts, removes un-neccessary physical journeys and tedious staff roles and duties. But the shift has gone beyond digital services representing a complimentary role to online blueprints and wireframes being the core structure of the provision, informing organisational structure and strategy and when, where and how more traditional experiences and touchpoints should happen.

hellohealth have established a healthcare platform in Brooklyn, "putting context around each point of data, allowing (users) to look at data more meaningfully".

Aviv Katz and I met with FitForSport last week and were greatly encouraged by the scale of their operation - providing in and out of school physical education from activities, nutritional advice and even summer camps - amounting to 1.2 million children involved with the scheme at some level in 2008. Their goals nicely align with Engine's current project with Southwark Council to reduce obesity in the borough, with the first initiatives targeting children and encouraging family support and participation. Despite their excellent on-the-ground work in schools and communities, their online offer falls well short of its potential to ensure the good work done on activity days and in schools isn't being undone by an unhealthy lifestyle at home.

Microsoft healthvault lubricates the flow of infomration and empowers users and healthcare providers with transparent data. They just need to work on their video. And hopefully it isn't as painful to use as most Microsoft software.

Our discussion also focused on the multi-billion pound question - what difference investment in preventative and early-stages care can make in both monetary terms and to the quality of life of people compared to dealing with chronic disease and attempting to cure it later on? Only a long-time study can shed light on what is logically sound and provide those striving to make it happen with the ammunition of hard facts to convince the bean-counters, particularly as the NHS faces 0% extra investment until 2011, when the ringfencing of its budget is again reviewed and will likely drop due to the recession.

Large-scale long-term, quali-qualitative studies on the effects of preventative health are thin on the ground, to say the least, but digitally-oriented healthcare can provide rich data and empowering, transparent services for people at low cost - surely the time is right?

The Service Design Network journal, Touchpoint, will focus its next issue on healthcare. I eagerly anticipate its contents!

Zen and the art of urban cycle service design

I've been bitten by the cycling bug this summer, and after seeing the sheer numbers at the London to Brighton bike ride last month, as well as experiencing the pitfalls of long distance cycling on top of my usual hair-raising commute to work, I felt it high time to pull together my thoughts and observations on how to support two-wheeled endeavours.

poor motorists...

Cycling is increasingly important as a means to reduce pollution and congestion on city roads and also to combat the UK's increasing problems with obesity and chronic illnesses. Yet infrastructure, support, services and even cultural attitudes fall short of the value cycling offers to the environment, economy and society.

The Experience of Cycling
Cyclists are vulnerable on the road, and while segregated cycle lanes help eliminate accidents with other traffic, they aren't realistic as a solution everywhere. The TFL website and free cycle maps are helpful for London, whilst the charity Sustrans has been developing a national cycle network since the 1970's.

if only it was all like this...

Whilst knowing your highway code and being a confident cyclist will reduce your chances of an injury, all too often cyclists are injured with little idea of what their rights are. How best to act immediately after an accident is still in the realm of hearsay.

Whilst many new inexperienced cyclists will inevitably lead to accidents, there is a great gulf between where motorists' attitudes towards cyclists are at present in London and where they should be. Hit and runs, intimidation and abuse are rife and will only serve to generate reciprocal hostility and generate a downward spiral of behaviour.

Of course, there must be compromise, and cyclists are being given the opportunity to sit in HGV cabs to empathise with drivers who cause many accidents because they can't see cyclists. Simultaneously, such vehicles are being fitted with sensors to fill the blind spots.

Cycling communities such as Critical Mass act to raise awareness, act as a lobby and encourage participation. Montreal and Copenhagen are at the head of the field in achieving (some) harmony between cyclists and the city, largely because of their prioritisation of cultural attitudes to ensure safer roads.


Cycling is an inclusive activity, as long as you aren't bothered by the sneers of Shaun Armstrong wannabes when you roll up next to them on your dad's knackered racer. However, services around cycling and shop environments are largely male oriented, with staff and customers being young athletic and male, which can be intimidating for anyone not in those categories. TfL last year trialled a free outdoors one-day bike surgery, and IDEO even developed a super low-maintenance bike and inclusive purchasing experience to reduce the need for such visits altogether.

Economy (vs) Environment
The cost savings against the car are huge. Personally even the cost of public transport combined with a miserable commute by train what the key to my conversion. You can also have a look at how much you can save in CO2 and money, here. The government has further encouraged cycling through Ride2Work - a slightly painful beaureaucratic process which provides tax incentives for employers and employees to buy new bikes, and has resulted in a huge surge in demand which has left manufacturers struggling to keep up.

Whilst the UK car industry hangs in peril, it is also bloated and unsustainable, both economically and environmentally. It's a real shame that the UK scrappage scheme is another example of how the economy and environment are often pitted against each other.

The Velibre-style schemes, successful in Paris but largely a failure in Barcelona, is an example of how the economy and environment can both benefit. Tourists and day commuters pay to hire bikes for as little as 30 minutes. This helps reduce traffic and keep the air quality in a city cleaner, which attracts more tourists and improves the living environment of locals. The scheme is to be introduced in London next year. I'll be delving into more specific examples in the future, but for the time being, I'd encourage you all to get cycling to help reach that critical mass!