Digital health programme

The Digital Health programme was formed in 2002, replacing The Internet Studies Research Group, and becoming part of ciber. Two factors were in play. The first was that the group had begun to look at services and systems beyond the traditional 'Internet' (such as digital TV applications, some of which incorporated elements of the Internet) and the second was increased funding from the Department of Health, NHS and Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund, in a project which also examines health information.

The Digital Health Research Group is a multi-disciplinary association of researchers and practitioners, from the related subjects of information science, computer science, health, journalism and electronic publishing who have combined together. The broad aims of the group is to examine the take-up of health information delivery through ICTs and to identify the barriers that might constrain the developments of such initiatives. The unit is concerned very much with the collection and analysis of computer transaction logs. These give a true and insightful record of user behaviour. From there, questions relating to reasons for use, barriers to use and satisfaction are asked, in addition to exploring the context within which people chose to access health information. Here qualitative methods come to the fore. The unique blend of these log driven methods, we call deep log analysis.

(This page is maintained by Ian Rowlands. Last updated 24 April 2007).