Partners: Dr Chris Sargent (BSMS) with The Seaview Project Main areas of Impact: Health

Partners came together to determine the feasibility of a proposal to develop an app for the homeless community with the intention of reaching the hardest to reach for a specific population. The study explores the challenges and advantages of developing an app for the homeless population to be able to register for personal health care records as an access point for linkage into the health and care system. The partnership brought together specific expertise in homelessness and health, provision of innovative bespoke services, knowledge of the systems requirements for IT and App development and networks across health, homelessness and the National Information Board. The feasibility study findings have informed discussions at a national level with NHS Digital and helping to shape local services and funders’ understandings of the issues, including contributing to Seaview’s fundraising activities. The project has also opened up new areas of research for the academics partners and information generated has been included in teaching for all undergraduate medical students in the 4th year lecture Primary Care for Homeless People and the 3rd year students who undertake an 8 week Student Selected Component 'Healthcare for Homeless People'.