Supporting increased demand on primary care services during the challenging winter months.

Situation

The Winter months often bring about increased demand for primary care services. This surge in demand can put additional pressure on healthcare providers who are already managing various healthcare needs. Some common reasons for increased demands during the winter period include;

• Seasonal illness – Cold and flu seasons typically lead to a rise in respiratory infections.
• Weather Related Incidents – Adverse weather conditions such as snow and ice can lead to accidents and injuries.
• Vulnerable Populations – Elderly individuals and those with a compromised immune system are often more susceptible to health issues during the winter.
• Mental Health – With general lower mood due to low light levels.

Solution

To target those wanting to manage and maintain their health and well-being needs during the winter months and in line with health providers specific needs of our targeted patient cohort. We worked closely with our UK Health System clients to create a ‘Staying Well This Winter’ Campaign.

This included:

• Reviewing the most common health needs, and with a clinical team mapped the most effective apps, based on reviewing data from the hundreds of health app assessments conducted by ORCHA in each chosen health area.
• A campaign landing page featuring 10 apps that support the most common health needs faced by populations during the winter months. These include Respiratory, Falls Prevention, Mental Health and Children’s Health. We also featured a planning ahead space where the NHS App was available to download for managing appointments and vaccinations demonstrating alignment with national health care initiatives to empower patients to take control of their healthcare needs effectively.
• Communications, to drive the targeted population to the landing page were utilised. This included social media posts, GP practice text messaging, mentions in outpatient letters, and QR code sheets for practitioners.Creating a campaign landing page that was tailored to address the challenges faced by patients and the NHS during this time of year has been a proactive and digitally supportive approach for our clients to adopt.

Results

By featuring the campaign across several of our UK health system client microsites, we have expanded the campaign’s reach to a wider and diverse audience. The landing page has provided valuable tools for individuals to sustain their health and wellbeing, which has likely contributed to the campaign’s success. Running the campaign from November 2023 to February 2023 and seeing nearly 13,000 people access the page indicates sustained interest and engagement throughout its duration.

A further example of the campaign’s success is that 7000 citizens across one of our UK health system client population visited the site which generated 1600 downloads of apps as a result of this specific campaign with a reach of 22% of the targeted population that the campaign was shared . Overall the most downloaded app within the campaign was digital healthy passport which since November has had over 600 people download the app.

The high number of accesses to the landing page reflects the relevance and importance of the campaign in educating individuals on self-managing their health, especially during the winter months but also throughout the year. Increasing awareness and empowering individuals to take charge of their health through digital solutions is invaluable, and this campaign has evidently succeeded in making a meaningful contribution towards this goal.

Winter Pressures – Humber & North Yorkshire (hnyhealthapps.co.uk)

Campaign to reach over 100,000 people to help them stop smoking.

Situation   

According to most recent statistics Adult smoking prevalence in England in 2021 was 14.4% The prevalence of current smokers was highest in the North-east at 14.8% but this has since dropped to 13.2% with the aim to continue to reduce this figure.

The purpose of the Humber and North Yorkshire Swap and Stop Campaign was to inspire new year quit attempts across all communities within the Humber and North Yorkshire ICB. The campaign name aligns with the localised campaign material used in hospitals across Humber and North Yorkshire, so it presented an opportunity to create a bridge between the stop smoking support offered by Trusts and within the community.

Solution

The Swap and Stop Campaign is an initiative designed to encourage individuals in the Humber and North Yorkshire region to stop smoking. Its primary objectives included.

Inspiring Quit Attempts – The campaign aimed to motivate individuals across communities within the ICB to make quit attempts during the month of January and onwards using digital health solutions such as apps.

Providing Information – The campaign seeks to educate individuals about effective methods to help them to think about quitting smoking. This includes digital resources, strategies and support that can assist someone on their journey.

Mood Benefits – The Swap and Stop Campaign underscores the positive impact that quitting smoking can have on mental health, particularly in reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression. This aspect highlights the holistic benefits beyond the physical benefits of stopping smoking.

Health Benefits – The campaign also aims to raise awareness about the various advantages associated with stop smoking. These benefits may include improved lung function, reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and the decreased likelihood of developing smoking related illnesses.

Call to Action

The main call to action of this campaign was for individuals in Humber and North Yorkshire who want to quit smoking to visit the Humber and North ORCHA Public Facing Library where we hosted the Swap and Stop Landing Page with a range of digital health apps for personalised guidance, progress tracking and community support.

Results

In January 2024 which was the first month that the campaign was launched we saw nearly 10,000 individuals access the Swap and Stop campaign landing page. Prior to January the most sessions the site had seen for a single month was just over 4000 showing the campaign has had a clear impact on site traffic/bringing people to the site.

Of the estimated 185,000 people across Humber and North Yorkshire who are smokers, 5% of those visited the campaign page in the first weeks of the campaigns launch.

62% of the apps downloaded in January were from the Swap and Stop campaign. The most downloaded app for January was the NHS Quit Smoking app followed by My Quit Route which had 52% of its overall downloads on the Humber and North Yorkshire site since the campaign went live.

By Combining messaging on the physical and emotional benefits to make a healthier choices around smoking with accessible resources such as digital health apps, the Swap and Stop Campaign has empowered individuals to take proactive steps towards a smoke – free lifestyle.

Stop Smoking – Humber & North Yorkshire (hnyhealthapps.co.uk)

Unveiling the ORCHA India Data Protection Badge: Setting New Standards in Digital Health

ORCHA, in collaboration with Alpha MD, is delighted to unveil the ORCHA India Data Protection Mark (OIDPM). This innovative badge marks a significant milestone in the response to the Indian Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023, setting new benchmarks for data protection and compliance within the healthcare and technology industries in India.

The OIDPM is focused on ensuring the highest levels of data protection in digital health solutions. Developed in alignment with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023, the assessment, badge and certificate offers a comprehensive framework for evaluating and demonstrating compliance with these stringent data protection regulations.

It provides innovators with a clear and standardised mechanism for assessing and showcasing data protection compliance, building trust among users, healthcare professionals, and regulatory bodies alike. This supports new opportunities for market growth, collaboration, and recognition within the digital health ecosystem.

Are you ready to be at the forefront of revolutionizing cancer services digitally?

If you’re a trailblazer in NHS cancer services or a digital innovator with a solution geared towards enhancing the care of patient’s affected by cancer, you’re in for an exciting opportunity! 

ORCHA is on the lookout for visionary partners who want to lead the charge in crafting ground breaking digital models for cancer care using health apps. Our journey has already seen us collaborate with some of the most forward-thinking companies, shaping our ORCHA formularies and health app libraries. Now, we’re joined forces with national cancer organizations and gearing up to create something truly MASSIVE. 

Whether you’re a creative mind behind an app designed for patients impacted by cancer or a leader within an NHS cancer service, we want YOU to be part of this transformative venture. Reach out now for more information on how you can get involved and be a driving force in shaping the future of cancer care!