GroundsWell: Community-engaged and data-informed systems transformation of Urban Green and Blue Space for population health – a new initiative

Abstract

Natural environments, such as parks, woodlands and lakes, have positive impacts on health and wellbeing. Urban Green and Blue Spaces (UGBS), and the activities that take place in them, can significantly influence the health outcomes of all communities, and reduce health inequalities. Improving access and quality of UGBS needs understanding of the range of systems (e.g. planning, transport, environment, community) in which UGBS are located. UGBS offers an ideal exemplar for testing systems innovations as it reflects place-based and whole society processes, with potential to reduce non-communicable disease (NCD) risk and associated social inequalities in health. UGBS can impact multiple behavioural and environmental aetiological pathways. However, the systems which desire, design, develop, and deliver UGBS are fragmented and siloed, with ineffective mechanisms for data generation, knowledge exchange and mobilisation. Further, UGBS need to be co-designed with and by those whose health could benefit most from them, so they are appropriate, accessible, valued and used well. This paper describes a major new prevention research programme and partnership, GroundsWell, which aims to transform UGBS-related systems by improving how we plan, design, evaluate and manage UGBS so that it benefits all communities, especially those who are in poorest health. We use a broad definition of health to include physical, mental, social wellbeing and quality of life. Our objectives are to transform systems so that UGBS are planned, developed, implemented, maintained and evaluated with our communities and data systems to enhance health and reduce inequalities. GroundsWell will use interdisciplinary, problem-solving approaches to accelerate and optimise community collaborations among citizens, users, implementers, policymakers and researchers to impact research, policy, practice and active citizenship. GroundsWell will be shaped and developed in three pioneer cities (Belfast, Edinburgh, Liverpool) and their regional contexts, with embedded translational mechanisms to ensure that outputs and impact have UK-wide and international application.

New models of health and social care for people in later life: mapping of innovation in services in two regions of the United Kingdom using a mixed method approach

“…The definition of evaluation that we adopted was broad and included any formal study design, such as qualitative study, pilot study, case study, or audit/health improvement project, RCT, or mixed-methods approach. It is noteworthy that in our study, fewer than half of the innovations had any form of evaluation, but this is still higher than in the previous evaluation of new models of care in Scotland [ 32 ].…”

“…It addresses issues that influence health status and helps patients take greater agency over their health and wellbeing. Another innovation was a wide collaboration using systems-thinking to harness the complex benefits of urban green and blue spaces for maximising health and wellbeing, with a focus on reducing health inequalities [ 31 , 32 ]. One innovation used artificial intelligence to detect and assess levels of pain for those unable to verbalise their discomfort and another introduced a digital surgery, which they said helped address inequalities by providing patients choice around how to interact with their GP.…”

Patient and public involvement workshop to shape artificial intelligence-supported connected asthma self-management research

“…In our ongoing research, we will investigate the best practical and safe thresholds for people with asthma, and use these to inform AI alerts, and what practical and safe self-management advice should be offered. There will also be the potential to develop public engagement activities that could encourage people with asthma to avoid indoor and outdoor air pollutants [ 30 ].…”