About the LYNC Study

What is the LYNC Study?

In this study, we looked at how digital technologies (email, mobile phone calls, text messages, Voice over Internet Protocol) are being used for clinical communications between health professionals and patients. We focussed on young people aged 16-24 years receiving specialist care for a range of long- term health conditions, and their clinical teams.

Overtime, young people living with diabetes, cystic fibrosis, sickle cell and other long-term health conditions may disengage from health services, thereby negatively affecting their health and burdening the health system. We investigated whether and how their engagement can be improved through the use of digital clinical communications, and so improve their health outcomes.

Young people are prolific users of digital communications, including for healthcare. Innovative clinicians in the UK National Health Service (NHS) have been using digital communications in an effort to engage and retain this generation of digitally-connected patients. From these early adopters and users of technologies, we have been learning how, why and with what effect digital, clinical communications can be used with young people and their clinical teams in the NHS.

The LYNC Collaboration

The study has been a collaboration between Warwick Medical School; King’s College London; University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire; Health and Social Care Information Centre; and King’s Health Partners, led by:

Prof Frances Griffiths Principal Investigator, WMS, University of Warwick)

Prof Jackie Sturt (Joint Principal Investigator, King’s College London)

The LYNC Study was funded by the UK National Institute of Health Research Health Services and Delivery Research (HS&DR) Programme.

Find out more: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/med/research/hscience/sssh/research/lyncs