Buddy
Improving the lives of people with long term conditions AND saving the NHS money
Case Study
Buddy is a post-digital social care service that seeks to improve the well-being of people living with long term conditions, and at the same time, reduce the cost of service provision. We hope to show that with the internet, user-centred design and a bit of imagination, it is possible to do more, for less in public services.
At the heart of Buddy is a social media radio which lets users broadcast from a physical device, to a range of social media platforms. Users simply turn a dial on the Buddy radio to select how they are feeling, and the service instantly broadcasts their mood in real-time – via email, SMS, Facebook, IM, Twitter etc.
By using social networks, Buddy extends the community of carers around an individual beyond healthcare professionals, to friends, families and peers. Our idea is to decentralise and socialise care, creating a more people-powered service, where friends and families are working alongside professionals to support individuals, in real time. Co-production is the jargon.
Buddy Software uses the data collected to co-ordinate the community response, increase staff productivity, and to deliver the ultimate goal, self-management.
In addition, we are interested in how Buddy designs out technology allowing the most vulnerable and digitally-excluded to enjoy the benefits of the ‘social web’ without having to know or understand computers.
Buddy has been awarded a contract by NHS London supported by NESTA. A 12 month trial is underway with our partners, South London and Maudsley Trust.
We want to allow people behind the curtain as we try to innovate within the NHS, so please do follow the progress of Buddy through our development blog or subscribe to our weekly email with a digest of updates each Monday by entering your email address below.