Innovation

The Digital Health Passport

2025 | Greg Burch

The Digital Health Passport (DHP) empowers young people and families to take control of asthma and epilepsy with evidence-based health coaching, personalised care planning, and support. Designed to reach those who need it most—particularly low-income families—DHP engages users through social media, community initiatives, and NHS partnerships. By improving patient activation and asthma control, the DHP is not only enhancing health outcomes but also reducing NHS costs as it scales nationwide.

Digital Health Passport: Empowering Young People to Manage Their Health.

Asthma remains a leading cause of avoidable hospital admissions and poor health outcomes, particularly among young people from low-income backgrounds. A December 2024 report from the National Child Mortality Database highlighted a stark reality: among the 54 asthma-related deaths in the preceding four years, most were in 15-17-year-olds, with those from the most deprived areas being four times more likely to suffer poor outcomes. Every school attended by these children was located in an area with poor air quality, highlighting the urgent need for targeted, proactive interventions.

The Digital Health Passport (DHP) is a mobile-first platform designed to address these disparities by putting evidence-based health coaching, care planning, and self-management tools directly into the hands of young people and families. By combining NHS-approved resources with digital engagement strategies, DHP empowers users to understand and manage their condition more effectively, reducing the risk of severe asthma attacks and unplanned hospital visits.

Crucially, the DHP doesn’t just wait for people to find it—it actively reaches those most at risk through social media campaigns, community-based outreach, and partnerships with NHS services. This approach ensures engagement with hard-to-reach groups, particularly those from deprived areas, who are often most in need of additional support.

As it continues to scale across the NHS, the Digital Health Passport has already demonstrated improvements in patient activation, asthma control, and cost savings for the healthcare system. By leveraging technology and targeted outreach, the DHP is transforming asthma care—helping young people stay out of the ‘danger zone’ of severely uncontrolled asthma and giving them the tools they need to lead healthier lives.