GM Connected Health Ecosystem: Digital Health Inequities

This Connected Health Ecosystem meeting was held virtually on Monday 6th December, 10.00 - 12.00.

The global pandemic has highlighted the extensive health inequities that exist in our society, as well as accelerated the uptake of digital technologies in frontline health and social care delivery. Digital technologies are a double edged sword when it comes to health disparities: they have the potential to make health and care delivery more equitable (e.g., by reducing the need to travel) but can also easily exclude groups or amplify existing inequities. For instance, digital health technologies may reproduce racial and gender disparities via the people building them or though the data used to train them, and digital transformation can widen health inequities through the ‘digital divide’. In this Greater Manchester Connected Health Ecosystem, we will address the topic of digital health inequities through insights from academia, industry, and healthcare practice.

Speakers
Introduction, Niels Peek (Professor of Health Informatics, University of Manchester)

What can we bring in from other ECHAlliance Ecosystem, Andy Bleaden (Community Director, ECHAlliance)

Digital Health Inequalities from development to diffusion: Perspectives and directions for the working group, Louise Laverty (Research Associate, University of Manchester)

Addressing the age related digital divide, Dr Charlotte Eost-Telling (Research Associate, University of Manchester)

GM’s approach to inclusive digital transformation in health and care, Laura Rooney (Director of Corporate Affairs & Strategy, Health Innovation Manchester)

Empowering our people through digital, Phil Swan (Director of Digital, Greater Manchester Combined Authority)

Panel Discussion

The Ecosystem, which is coordinated by Digital Futures, Health Innovation Manchester , the Christabel Pankhurst Institute and the ERDF, plays an important role in bringing together key organisations and personnel in this area, creating a platform for sharing new and important policy developments, research, funding opportunities and innovations.
We are a member of the European Connected Health Alliance (ECHAlliance), a network of permanent multi-stakeholder Ecosystems across Europe, North America & China.