Improving Uptake of a Digital Lifestyle Service Across the County
We supported the Buckinghamshire Council Public Health Team to strengthen the uptake of their new digital lifestyle service. Despite significant promotion, referrals and resident engagement remained lower than expected, and the organisation sought behavioural-science support to understand the reasons for low uptake and identify clear, practical solutions.
The Challenge
The digital service had strong potential to support residents with healthier lifestyles, but uptake was limited at both the resident and healthcare-professional level. The public health team needed to understand the behavioural barriers affecting awareness, referral pathways and resident motivation, and to build internal capability to address these challenges more effectively.
Our Approach
We conducted a behavioural diagnosis to identify the psychological, contextual and operational factors limiting engagement. This involved examining how healthcare professionals were referring into the service, how residents were interpreting information about the offer, and where capability, opportunity or motivation gaps existed. We then translated these insights into clear recommendations and provided implementation support to help the team strengthen referral systems, communication, and outreach.
Solution Delivered
Our work combined diagnostic insight with practical guidance to improve referral pathways and resident engagement. We advised on targeted behavioural actions, refined key communication points, and supported the development of strategies that made the service easier to promote and easier for residents to act upon. We also worked with the public health team to increase their confidence in applying behavioural science to future programmes..
Impact
The organisation strengthened its ability to drive uptake of the digital service, resulting in increased healthcare-professional referrals and improved resident engagement. The public health team is now better equipped to embed behavioural-science principles into service design, communication, and implementation - supporting more effective delivery across current and future digital health initiatives.