The consideration of inclUsioN and equalITy featurEs of Physical Activity digital interventions for people with Long-term conditions in primary care: a scoping review (the UNITE-PAL study).

PI Title: Charlotte Woodcock

Lead Member: Keele University

Background: Digital approaches are playing an increasingly important role in supporting patients to manage living with long-term conditions (e.g., diabetes, musculoskeletal pain, cardiovascular disease). These are conditions that are long in progression with no known cure. For many of these conditions, regular physical activity reduces severity of symptoms and helps enhance peoples’ ability to carry out daily tasks and thus improving quality of life. However, people living with long-term conditions are less physically active than those who do not have a long-term condition. To help support people integrate physical activity into their lives, digital approaches delivered via smartphones, tablets, or personal computers offer a promising adjunct to face-to-face support from healthcare professionals. General practitioners (GPs) see the benefit in using digital health applications to promote patients’ lifestyles and are cost effective and have the potential to reach a large number of people.

However, some people find accessing and using digital interventions easier than others. People who cannot afford or do not habitually use digital devices such as smartphones or tablets, do not have internet access, or lack motivation and confidence in using these technologies are at a disadvantage as they are less likely to access or engage with health interventions that depend on such devices.

The National Health Service (NHS) is committed to reducing this disadvantage in access, use and engagement with digital approaches. This seems particularly important for people who already experience inequalities in health. For example, people who are financially less well-off are more likely to have one or more long-term condition, are less likely to be physically active, and are more likely to experience barriers to digital technology use. To improve access, use and engagement with digital physical activity approaches there is an urgent need to better understand how these interventions promote equality and inclusivity.

Aim: Our research aims to bring together what we currently know about inclusion features of digital physical activity interventions for people with long-term conditions.

Methods: We will summarise existing knowledge using a well-established method to identify available evidence by conducting a scoping review. We will identify what elements of the development and design of digital physical activity interventions for people living with LTCs promote inclusivity and how these are delivered to patients. We will also examine how inclusivity of these interventions is evaluated.

Impact: We will make recommendations for the development of future digital physical activity interventions and future research to enhance inclusivity and improve access, use and engagement to a wider population who are living with long-term conditions in supporting them to be physically active.

Improving the inclusivity of digital interventions will also give healthcare professionals working in primary care more confidence in recommending digital physical activity approaches to complement face-to-face consultations.

Amount awarded: £58,357