NHS digital shift: Majority willing to share health data, but hesitant about care robots

Three-quarters of the public open to sharing some of their health data to develop AI in the NHS – survey finds 

Transitioning from analogue to digital is one of three major "shifts" the government has deemed essential for the future of the NHS. These shifts, with the other two being the moving from hospital to community care and from sickness to prevention, will also form the foundation of the 10-Year Health Plan.

The question is: are the public ready to embrace this digital transformation, which would involve sharing their health data for the development of artificial intelligence (AI) systems within the NHS?

Results from a UK-wide poll show that the majority of people (75 per cent) are willing to share some of their health data for AI development.

The survey commissioned by the Health Foundation included more than 7,000 members of the public (aged 16 years and older).

Nearly 60 per cent expressed willingness to share information about their eye health, with 58 per cent open to sharing details about the medications they are taking, and 57 per cent willing to disclose any long-term illnesses they live with.

However, the results found less willingness to share certain types of data, with only 47 per cent open to sharing smartphone-tracked data, such as sleep activity, and 44 per cent willing to share sexual health information—fewer than the 46 per cent who opposed sharing this data.

Dr Malte Gerhold, director of innovation and improvement at the Health Foundation, emphasized that the government can only successfully achieve its ambition of shifting the NHS from analogue to digital with the public’s support.

“It is encouraging that most people are open to sharing their data to develop AI systems in the NHS,” he said.

Dr Gerhold noted that when properly implemented, AI has the potential to “free up staff by supporting clinical and administrative tasks.”

"However, these systems are only as good as the data used to design and develop them."

The polling also uncovered significant differences between socioeconomic groups in levels of support for sharing data for AI development and for taking part in activities to shape how technology is used in the NHS.

In particular, individuals from socioeconomic groups D and E (where the primary earner is semi-skilled, unskilled, or unemployed) were much less likely to support the use of their health data compared to those from other socioeconomic groups.

Dr Gerhold urged policymakers, NHS leaders, and those involved in designing and implementing health care technologies to “proactively engage with people across different social groups to ensure that health care technologies help tackle inequalities, rather than worsen them.”

The survey also found that the public is hesitant about technologies, like care robots, that might be seen to ‘distance’ patients from healthcare staff or come between them.

People cited the ability to see and talk to NHS staff as their most important consideration when thinking about technology use in health care, with older people particularly concerned about this

Public trust in the NHS holding personal health data is strong, with around two-thirds of the respondents expressing either high or moderate levels of trust in the NHS managing their health information.