Digital Wellbeing

Digital wellbeing spans the ways information technology – including communications and sensors – can help people live long and healthy lives. An ageing population and changing lifestyles place enormous pressure on the provision of care by the public sector.

Our digital wellbeing research aims to increase the wellbeing of older and more vulnerable people by developing new and improved digital solutions that help people make better lifestyle choices. Improved health in elderly and vulnerable people can reduce the demand on public sector care services.

Through our research, we're researching how assisted living can help people with autism live as independently as possible. Our PhD candidates have also worked on apps to support reminiscence therapy for dementia sufferers and mothers suffering from post-natal depression.

Our expertise spans the design, implementation and evaluation of wellbeing services such as healthy living pharmacies, social prescribing and dental hygiene. We also have expertise in artificial intelligence (AI), which is swiftly becoming an important aspect of personalising wellbeing services.

Collaborations and funders

Our first work in this field was to set up the National Database of Telemedicine for the Department of Health in the late 1990s – this subsequently became the national Telemedicine and E-health Information Service, run in conjunction with The British Library.

More recently, we have worked with East Hampshire District Council to help them regenerate the towns of Whitehill and Bordon on healthy living principles.

We've worked with companies including PassivSystems Ltd, an intelligent energy software solutions company, Smart-e Ltd, a manufacturer of audio visual equipment and Xim Ltd, a research and development company creating innovative digital health applications. We also have strong links to patient and community groups through the University of Portsmouth Ageing Network (UPAN) and Portsmouth City Council.

Recent project have received funding from the South East Health Technologies Alliance (SEHTA), East Hampshire District Council, and several Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) supported by Innovate UK.

Discover our areas of expertise

Digital wellbeing is an area of expertise in the Health Informatics research area. Explore the other areas of expertise here.

Research groups

Interested in a PhD in Health Informatics?

Browse our postgraduate research degrees – including PhDs and MPhils – at our Health Informatics postgraduate research degrees page.