Digital Wellbeing Research
Explore our work in digital wellbeing, 1 of our areas of expertise within Health Informatics
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.
Our research covers the following topics
- Digital health
- Assistive technologies
- Telecare
- Telemedicine
- Telehealth
It also tackles important questions, such as:
- How can digital technology for wellbeing be developed from scratch in the most efficient and effective way?
- How can digital technology be designed for use by ordinary people?
- What is the best way to evaluate the effectiveness of digital wellbeing technology?
- How can we ensure digital wellbeing technology is adopted more widely?
- How should it be paid for and what do appropriate business models look like?
- And how can digital technology for wellbeing be integrated effectively with other 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.
Publication highlights
An Analysis of Factors Affecting Postnatal Depression Intervention Adherence
International Journal of Public Health Management and Ethics (IJPHME) 2 (2017):1, doi:10.4018/IJPHME.2017010101, Omobolanle Omisade, Alice Good, Tineke Fitch and Jim Briggs
Association between Intervention Delivery Approach for Postnatal Depression and its Subsequent Adherence
International Journal of Womens Health Wellness (2018), 4:065. doi.org/10.23937/2474-1353/1510065, Omobolanle Omisade, Alice Good and Tineke Fitch
An Analysis of Factors Affecting Postnatal Depression Intervention Adherence
International Journal of Public Health Management and Ethics (IJPHME) 2 (2017):1, doi:10.4018/IJPHME.2017010101, Omobolanle Omisade, Alice Good, Tineke Fitch and Jim Briggs
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.
Applied health informatics
We're researching the effective design and use of IT in health and social care to improve how practitioners communicate with patients and to promote patient wellbeing
Clinical outcome modelling
We're exploring ways of analysing health data to better calculate the risks patients face, and to evaluate new and improved techniques for managing patient care.
Cross reality applications
We're exploring how virtual reality (VR) can improve patient's physical and psychological rehabilitation, and developing VR simulations for a range healthcare applications.
Research groups
Quality of Life Health and Wellbeing Research Group
We're researching how to enhance our diverse experiences of life focussing on student experience, later years and individuals with learning disabilities.
Centre for Healthcare Modelling and Informatics
We're working to develop technology that makes work more efficient for the organisations that form the National Health Service (NHS).
Interested in a PhD in Health Informatics?
Browse our postgraduate research degrees – including PhDs and MPhils – at our Health Informatics postgraduate research degrees page.