Part of Public attitudes to data in the NHS and social care
Confident Data Enthusiasts
Based on our survey responses, about 21% of the population (in England) would fall into the Confident Data Enthusiasts segment.
There is so much potential good that can come from sharing patient data, both for myself and others, and so the NHS should use it as they see fit
Trust in the NHS and use of data
People in this segment have high levels of trust in the organisation and its capability to keep their data secure. This, coupled with their high understanding and high comfort in how data is used in health and social care, makes them strong enthusiasts.
A crucial feature of this group, like the Disengaged and Health Data Protective group and Neutral Followers, is that only 51% were in strong agreement that it’s important to them to have control over where their data goes and who has access to it.
66% of people in this group would want the NHS to tell them if they were to use their patient data to work in partnership with companies to research the impact of new medicines. This is the lowest percentage of any of the segments to express this view, due to low information and reassurance needs.
| Attitude | This segment | England average |
|---|---|---|
| Trust in the NHS generally* | 93% | 72% |
| Trust NHS to keep patient data secure** | 98% | 83% |
| Understanding different uses of data*** | High | Not applicable |
| Comfort in use of data*** | High | Not applicable |
* 5-7 out of 7, where 7 is trust completely
** Combined strongly and slightly agree
*** In comparison to other segments
Significant characteristics of people in this segment
46%
in highest socio-economic group
compared to 35% across England
94%
are confident online
compared to 87% across England
41%
This group has higher representation in younger age groups, as well as having a higher proportion from a higher socio-economic background. They tend to be more frequent online users, including more frequent users of social media, which reflects in their high degree of confidence online. They have a higher proportion of white ethnicity and degree educated.
This group tend to be higher users of all NHS services, particularly GP services. They are also higher users of online health services. This includes NHS owned services (such as the NHS App and NHS.UK), as well as other health apps such as sports and fitness apps.
What we learned
This segment show pride in the NHS and already have high trust levels in the organisation and its capability to keep their data secure (as a valued, established and well-run entity they expect that processes/systems are in place). Additionally, they have a general acceptance that the way NHS will use data will be for public good with very little questioning.
These individuals have low information and reassurance needs.
What matters to them
- Reinforce their positivity for the NHS by positioning as forward thinking
- Provide tangible examples of a variety of data use case studies with multiple beneficiaries and outcomes
- Include references on who can see different types of data (and reassurances about anonymised versus personally identifiable information)
- Anything that triggers concerns about overspending or strain to the NHS system, service or workforce
- Using words/phrases that can seem ambiguous or vague
- Need to test views on commercial models, this group were very negative about the NHS 'making money' from data
Last edited: 8 May 2024 5:14 pm