JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Requests for public social care support can be made through an online portal. These digital ‘front doors’ can help people navigate complex social care systems and access services. These systems can be set up in different ways, but there is little evidence about the impact of alternative arrangements. Digital front-door systems should help people better access services, particularly low-intensity services (high-intensity care is likely to require a full in-person assessment).

Objective:

This study investigates the association between two primary digital front door arrangements—easy read information and self-assessment tools provided on official websites—and the type of social care support that is offered: ongoing low-level support (OLLS), short-term care (STC) and long-term care (LTC).

Methods:

After collecting information on front door arrangements from official websites for 152 English local authorities in 2021, we conducted regression analysis of service use (with data from official Government returns).

Results:

Less than 20% of local authorities provided an integrated digital easy read format as part of their digital front door system with about 25% adopting digital self-assessment within their system. We found that local authorities that offered an integrated digital easy read format showed higher rates of utilising OLLS (Coeff = 0.54, P = .029; but no statistically significant association with LTC and STC). Provision of an online self-assessment system was not associated with service use in the one-year cross-sectional estimate, but when two years of service-use data were analysed, a significant positive association was found on OLLS rates.

Conclusions:

These findings are consistent with our hypothesis that digital systems with built-in easy read and self-assessment may make access to (low-intensity) services easier for people. Adoption of these arrangements could potentially help increase uptake of support amongst those who are eligible, with expected benefits for their care-related well-being.