HEAL: Health Education & Augmented Learning

Health Education & Augmented Learning (HEAL) is a research project conducted by the University of Salford investigating the use of the innovative digital learning solutions for digital and clinical skills development in the NHS.

The project has been run by an interdisciplinary team of researchers in partnership with the Northern Care Alliance (NCA) NHS Trust.

The study will will collect a data through interviews and and cross-sectional surveys with NHS clinicians in the NCA, to establish current practice in relation to digital training solutions, identify where/how transformation is needed, and understand more about clinicians digital skills needs. In addition a co-design event for the project will be held to engage key stakeholders around digital training solutions and the barriers to their implementation in the NHS. Finally, two new digital training solutions have been developed, an extended reality (XR) app to train nurses in clinical decision making for nasogastric tube insertion, and a digital skills training package (DiSk Pass) which will be piloted for a small initial evaluation.

In doing so, the research aims to shed light on digital skills needs within the NHS, current digital training provisions and to understand the response to innovative new digital learning tools in the NHS.

This website gives information about the project, research team, emerging findings and access to all participant information sheets for potential participants.

Key words: Digital Health, Digital Skills, Digital Training, Digital Learning