The study focused on young people in the United Kingdom (UK) who are being treated for long-term conditions along with their clinical teams. Drawing on data from a wider study that reported how digital communication technologies were used to facilitate communications between clinicians and patients (Griffiths et al., 2017), we ask: how does understanding the intersection of digital technologies and timely communications help to enhance the value of digital communication within a healthcare setting? Unpacking the idea of timely communication, we will explore the temporalities of patients and clinical staff alongside time as it relates to the social, to knowledge and to work. Timely communication can be conceptualised as engaging with the right person at the appropriate time to enable effective condition management. Managing a long-term condition well requires patients and clinicians to develop timely communications pathways. Done well digital communications have the potential to improve young patients’ autonomy but this must be balanced with the needs of clinical teams, particularly loss of control over work patterns. In the current policy landscape where there is an emphasis on digital technology understanding the temporalities of different groups will help in the introduction of appropriate digital communications channels. Through the lens of time we show that digital communications are valued differently by young people with long-term conditions and their clinical teams. We drew on theories of time to understand how time was conceptualised and used in the digital communications between young people and their clinical teams. Although not the focus of the main study the intersection of digital technologies and timely communication in keeping young people engaged was apparent. Data are drawn from 165 young people and 173 NHS staff across 20 clinical settings in the UK treating a variety of long-term conditions. This study considers the role of digital communication in helping young people engage with services and the clinical teams providing their care. Timely communications are important in enabling young people with long-term conditions to stay engaged with their health and manage their condition successfully.
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