URBThe Information Chasm_January2017_B

Author: Caron Thompson // Company Director // Common Unity
Date: October 10th 2016

What is Urbrum?
Urbrum, as a web based community centred platform, is all about discovering innovative ways of
engaging communities with their own health and wellbeing and the health and well-being of those
around them. Its approach to engagement, information and intelligence sees communities as both the
recipients and providers of health and well-being intelligence with a view that through such an organic
process, services and support will continue to best reflect what communities need and want.
The Information Chasm.
In the world of Health and Social Care communication, one of the biggest ongoing challenges being
faced has been what we call at Common Unity “The Information Chasm.” This chasm sits squarely
between those who provide on the one side, and those who would receive on the other. But the size
of this chasm means that by the time information about any form of support is received by the citizens
and cascaded to their wider communities, the information is either out of date because the services
have shut down or have been changed significantly regarding their admission criteria and contact
details – It appears that however hard the tenacious Database Administrators work to sift information,
build service links and keep on top of all services, their best efforts more often than not go to waste.
Such a situation causes a huge level of dissatisfaction for those who need a service but are either
finding out too late for it to be of benefit or find themselves unable to make contact due to a range of
key service communication changes. This chasm, is one key reason why accessible services are often
not accessible at all and is also a cause of much frustration across communities to the point that many
citizens just give up.
The current approach of building, piece by piece, a database of local services and populating that
database with checked and double checked information in respect of names, numbers, service details
and location, as well as the ongoing management of that data, is staff resource heavy, time consuming
and limited due to the fact that only the organisations that have the money
(administration/management/membership fees), benefit of the time and the inclination to engage
with such a process will be highlighted.
What is the URBRUM Key About?
The Urbrum Resource Key provides an alternative approach to taking control of our own health and
well-being – it is a virtual bridge across “The Information Chasm” that connects support services to
the recipient almost instantly – the Urbrum Resource Key by engaging citizens with sources of support
directly and seamlessly is, in its own right an intervention, taking away the often wearisome process
of finding the right place to get help – an online resource library of information and support that can
be navigated with minimum difficulty. In addition, the ongoing management of the process is
relatively small but engagement can be realised at high levels and monitored effectively.

The resource key does all this through adhering to a few simple principles:
1) To be innovative in technology we don’t have to invent – we just need to redefine or
refine existent technologies that are relatively inexpensive, or better still, free and
serve a useful purpose.
2) Make access to this technology easy and discreet through a convenient access route
housed within a long-lasting product.
3) Don’t waste time and resources building new data from scratch – use existent web
based data and from this framework develop the portfolio over time to best target
communities and meet local need.
4) Recognise that informed choice is paramount for citizens in realising their own health
and well-being – the resource key is all about informed choice.
The Technical Bit - Usage
In August 2015 Ofcom reported that the UK is officially a smartphone society with over two-thirds of
the adult population owning a smartphone and a similar projection being estimated in respect to
tablet ownership by 2016. The virtual world with access to up to the minute information is fast
becoming the accepted norm and there is no indication of this phenomenon slowing.
This rise in smartphone surfing marks a clear shift since 2014, when just 22% turned to their phone
first, and 40% preferred their laptop.
In fact, Smartphones have become the hub of our
daily lives and are now in the pockets of 66% of
UK adults, up from 39% in 2012. The vast majority
(90%) of 16-24 year olds own one; but 55-64 year
olds are also joining the smartphone revolution,
with ownership in this age group more than
doubling since 2012, from 19% to 50%.
The surge is further being driven by the
increasing take-up of 4G mobile broadband,
providing faster online access.
We now spend almost twice as long online with our smartphones than on laptops and personal
computers. On average, mobile users spent nearly two hours online each day using a smartphone in
March 2015 (1 hour and 54 minutes), compared to just over an hour spent online by laptop and PC
users (1 hour and nine minutes).

The Technical Bit – Quick Response (QR) Codes
Through scanning a QR Code via your tablet or smart phone app (free to download), the user is taken
to a pre-determined website – it is currently used for a range of commercial purposes particularly in
respect of marketing, promotion, commercial tracking, entertainment and transport as well as
ticketing. The beauty of QR codes is that they are easy to produce and reproduce being displayed
almost anywhere. This means that access to a specific website for a specific purpose through a specific
QR code could be printed in a range of formats and a range of places for a number of different target
groups.
The Urbrum Resource Key (The Waiting Room Resource Key)
Common Unity have spent many years helping to
develop and produce eye catching directories, “Z-
Cards”, Wallet Cards, glossy leaflets and magazines
in a bid to best engage vulnerable communities
with services that can best support their needs.
Unfortunately, because of the “Information
Chasm” described earlier the shelf life of such
products is extremely limited to the extent that
often when the product has been printed and
delivered, much of the information is already out
of date.
When you add to this the cost incurred regarding the design, development, distribution and staff
resources – the whole process is pretty much an exercise in information futility. Furthermore, paper
based information just does not last and more often than not finds itself banished to the deepest
darkest corner of the sofa or becomes a paper aeroplane for the children or worse still never makes it
out of the back pocket before the next washing cycle.
The Urbrum Resource Key, being a durable key fob with an embedded QR code, answers these
challenges head on in respect of durability, practicality and cost.

Where Does the QR Code Take You?
Back in the 1990’s in Sheffield a forward thinking local newspaper owner realised that there was a
huge profitable opportunity to be grasped in respect of GP Surgery waiting rooms being places with a
significant weekly footfall - the ‘captive audience’ being made up by patients. Magazines available
had historically been donated by the patients and although relieving some of the boredom whilst
waiting for an appointment, these magazines were typically many months, if not years, out of date.
This local newspaper owner realised that through investment from pharmaceutical companies for
advertising (being allowed back then), a weekly magazine could be distributed across the GP practices
with good profit to be made from the private sector investment. This newspaper was called The
Waiting Times.
It is on the basis of this idea that the Urbrum virtual Waiting Room was born; A section within Urbrum
that gives the public access to up to date health and wellbeing information that supports them in
understanding and even dealing with challenges that may be troubling them or their family, friends
and community.
With an emphasis on protect and prevent, The Waiting Room couch is split into a number of key areas
and by clicking on a key area, will take the smartphone reader through to a list of local and national
websites and contact numbers (fully accessible) that can be accessed for the purposes of information
and direct support.

The following link takes you to a youtube video
that shows exactly how the QR Code works for
the Urbrum Resource Key -
https://youtu.be/EHtzrl4Ua30 or you can just
click on the picture if you have the necessary
access rights on your PC.
It is envisaged that The Waiting Room, a place
that already offers some signposting, will be
supported to continuously develop to best
enable vulnerable community members
instant and discreet access to appropriate local
and national support services as well as up-todate
and useful information to help protect
citizens and prevent life damaging events from
occurring. In effect, Common Unity want The
Waiting Room to be the One Stop Virtual Shop
for Birmingham people – so they know where
to go, who to see or what to do to best support
their own needs in an ever challenging world.
With The Waiting Room being part of Urbrum, a Web-Site specifically developed to realise improved
engagement and understanding between communities and decision makers as well as promote a
greater shared sense of identity and ownership of Birmingham – The Waiting Room is situated in a
perfect space for supporting people to better support themselves and their communities.
What Are the Opportunities for This Approach?
The opportunities for Urbrum Resource key are many but will only be realised with investment both
in respect of time, development opportunities and close partnership working.
1) The well-being agenda:
The resource key as a front-virtual intervention has great possibilities. Public Health would be in
the position of targeting information to specific vulnerable communities providing them with
instant access through the Waiting Room to vital local and national information that can support
their needs and raise awareness.
2) Diversity in approach:
Through targeted marketing in a range of geographical settings, cost effective advertising of The
Waiting Room can be realised – Examples include Beer Mats in pubs, on clothing, on bus shelters,

on bill-boards, in A&E Departments, GP Practices, The Courts, Prisons, Police Stations, in taxis, on
taxis, on Buses, on email signatures, pharmacy bags – basically wherever there is a space etc.
3) To be the Birmingham Virtual One Stop Shop for Well-Being – Services at your
Fingertips
The Health and Social Care sector is being crippled by demands placed upon it.
The Resource Key is a cost effective way of enabling people to engage with their own
health and well-being on their terms at the earliest juncture possible.
Through empowering citizens to look after their own health and well-being through
utilising existent, often previously unknown resources, the demand on front line
health and social care should reduce and the opportunity for front line services in
health and social care to signpost citizens to such health and well-being opportunities
has to be beneficial for all. It also means that people are enabled to access the right
services and the right time to best meet their needs as quickly and efficiently as
possible.
How can we measure the impact?
The Waiting Room has been optimised to work on all devices and interfaces and usage to
date, even with only a minimal number of fobs distributed is highly encouraging as is the
average usage time. Specific measures for impact at a primary level via Google Analytics is as
follows:
1) Number of hits and return rates at The Waiting Room and sectors therein both
through the fob and directly online.
2) Location, gender and age group optimisation.

3) Uptake rate from specific geographical sectors within the City and service uptake
where a targeted approach is applied.
4) Duration time engaged with the website and subsections.
5) Data in respect of website hits overall, website hits per geographical location and page
hits (highlighting areas of interest).
6) Referral routes through other engaged website domains utilising The Waiting Room
Widget (organic, referral, direct).
7) Number of organisation requests for inclusion in The Waiting Room and requesting
The Waiting Room Widget.
Example Costing 1 : Geographical/Sector Targeted
(based on 5000 Key Fob distribution)
Keys at 0.40 per unit £2000
Design work for flyers, posters, publicity material £400
Printing of 1000 flyers £150
Printing of 100 Posters £300
Networking, Distribution, Publicity, E-Marketing £1,250
Pull Up Banner - Design and Production £250
Administration support (Based on 5 Days) £750
Website development - (Based on 5 days) £1,750
Analytics Data collection £250
Evaluation/Recommendations £500
Management Costs £836
Total Excluding Vat £8436
Equivalent cost of £1.69 per person engaged being a total of 5000 units distributed
Generic Fob/Leaflet and Poster Bundles Costing
Package
Option
Fob and
leaflet
Posters A3 Bundle cost %
Reduction
Cost per
intervention
250 250 5 £230.00 0.00% £0.92
1000 1000 20 £874.00 5.00% £0.87
5000 5000 100 £4,140.00 10.00% £0.82
10000 10000 200 £7,820.00 15.00% £0.78
Additional Tailored Intervention Options requiring further discussion E.g. Billboards, public
transport advertising, sides, Beermats, Prescription Bags/Pads, Postcards, Magazines/local press
Public Social Media Advertising, GP Practice advertising (VDU).
1
VAT is applicable to all costs agreed with purchasers.

COMPANY DIRECTOR - CARON THOMPSON
163 Gerrard Street // Lozells // Birmingham // B19 2AH
T: 0121 554 9360 (Extension 4) // M: 07990947093
E: info@common-unity.org
W: www.common-unity.org
©Common Unity Limited (2015) Registered in England 6943198