Combating health problems via the web

To encourage people to embrace the internet you have to give them a very good reason to use it, and make it very easy for them to access it. Last month, NHS Hull opened a high street Healthy Living Centre, which does both these things.

The centre has twin aims – firstly, to address the main causes of the city’s health problems, smoking, obesity and alcohol abuse,  and secondly, to provide open internet access to the population. The two aims also combine – with free online health checks being offered in specially designed booths which protect the privacy of the user. It’s easy to forget that people without internet access at home may not feel comfortable using more traditional public access points like internet cafes or libraries to research health concerns, so we think these pods are an excellent way of both giving people experience online and also a way to get valuable, and even potentially life-saving, information.

After only five weeks, NHS Hull tell us that over 1,500 people have completed an online health MOT at the centre, which is fantastic news, especially as we assume that the majority of these would not have reliable internet access elsewhere.

Jo Cole, public health manager for NHS Hull, is understandably delighted with progress: “The appeal of the online tests has exceeded our expectations. They are a great way for people to work out their health risks and those most in need are driven to specialist services to improve their health.”

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