With healthcare services changing, and people interacting differently within the buildings they visit, it seems unlikely that kiosks will continue to be an effective way to engage with people in the short-term. Additionally, there is the ongoing challenge of maintaining the hardware and software, which can’t be done when the devices are offline. As a result the kiosk programme will be closing on the 30th June 2020.

We very much appreciate the efforts and support of all the places that have hosted a kiosk over the past three years. As a result of your work, kiosks have been used at over 265 sites, spent over 25,000 days online, have generated 5,025 enquiries and of those 1,269 people have gone on to fully register on JDR – and with a 25% conversion rate. Overall, they have contributed 7% of all JDR registrations over the past two years, and we hope to employ the learning from this initiative into other projects in the future.

 

Next Steps

  • The website used by the kiosks will be closing at midnight on the 30th June.
  • As you will be aware, we automatically delete the information on potential volunteers provided into the kiosks after 12 months. We will continue to send monthly emails until end June 2021 (encouraging them to fully register on JDR), by which time all the volunteers will have been removed from our mailing list.

 

What to do with your kiosk

You are very welcome to keep the tablet, or return if you would prefer. We hope that you can make use of this in some other way.

  • Remove the tablet from the cardboard kiosk, and recycle the kiosk.
  • To remove our software and to reset the tablet, you should find a small hole on the right-hand side, with the tablet turned on and plugged into the charger, insert a bent paperclip. This will reset the tablet and revert it to factory settings.

 

If you would prefer to return the device, please remove the tablet and wires from the kiosk. Recycle the cardboard elements, and post the tablet and wires to:

 

Office of the National Director for Dementia Research
c/o Box 81
National Hospital For Neurology & Neurosurgery
Queen Square
LONDON
WC1N 3BG

 

Sharing dementia research with patients

Dementia Research remains a high priority for the government, and JDR continues to be a key element of future plans. We will need to continue to support and engage patients to discuss research opportunities if we hope to meet the challenging objectives set. We are currently working on guidance to suggest ways you can promote the service, safely and effectively during these challenging times. However, in the meantime you can download or order free print materials here, and access our toolkit with many other resources and ideas for engaging patients.

If you have any questions, please email adam.smith@nihr.ac.uk