The Digital Clinic is a community initiative, led by corporate volunteers known as SG:D Friends, who contribute their time to give one-on-one assistance to anyone who has queries on how to use mobile devices.

As Singapore transforms digitally, there is an urgent need to ensure that everyone is digitally ready and that no one is left behind. Although the percentage of Internet Users in Singapore is generally high at 87% , the percentage for seniors is significantly lower and one in two seniors 60 years old and above are not Internet Users . The key reason cited for not using the Internet is the lack of knowledge and skills.

To encourage usage of technology, there is a need for greater support and customised learning for seniors who are digital non-natives.

The Digital Clinic supports one of the strategies in the Digital Readiness Blueprint, focusing on providing one-on-one assistance to make it easy for Singaporeans to adopt technology so that non-digital natives can become more confident and comfortable in using technology to participate in digital activities.

In collaboration with partners, IMDA identified libraries and community clubs to organise weekly Digital Clinics in the heartlands where there is a higher population of seniors. Private and public organisations are invited to volunteer for these Digital Clinics, which pops-up at each location for 3 to 8 hours, giving seniors easy access to nearby dedicated one-on-one concierge-type assistance on the use of smartphones. Some of the common questions asked at Digital Clinics include personalising phone settings, connecting to the internet, storage, online banking and more.

Since its launch in Nov 2017 the number of participating organisations has grown from 8 to 37 with over 4,000 volunteers to benefit 10,000 seniors island-wide (https://youtu.be/2p2-mMrdo6s).

http://www.imsilver.sg/dc

• Singapore

• Older persons
• Mature Adults

Given the simplicity of the model, there is a low barrier to entry for organisations to participate and the volunteers themselves find the engagement meaningful as it gives each volunteer opportunities to interact one-on-one with seniors. BThrough feedback collected from the volunteers, 100% of the volunteers found the Digital Clinic session meaningful and 95% of them would like to participate in more of such volunteering activities. The ease of onboarding and the positive experiences by volunteers at Digital Clinics make it feasible to be sustainable and easily replicated. The setup is simple, requiring only tables and chairs. Volunteers are given a set of resources and FAQs to prepare them prior to the session and are required to attend a volunteer briefing 30 minutes before the start of the session.

There are Satellite Digital Clinics, which are already replicated by community partners such as the South East Community Development Council and the Toa Payoh West Balestier Citizen Consultative Committee themselves. They replicated the Digital Clinic model and recruited volunteers to run local Digital Clinics for their own community. IMDA supports these Satellite Digital Clinics with volunteer resources.

One of the local banks in Singapore, UOB Bank has also adopted the Digital Clinics model and takes the lead in organising themed Digital Clinics themselves. The UOB Bank organises Digital Clinics in partnership with a technology company, Cognizant, to teach seniors on e-payment. These Digital Clinics are organised on a Saturday afternoon after banking hours.

Another themed Digital Clinic is the Merdeka Generation Digital Clinics where IMDA works with the People’s Association and Grab Taxi Pte Ltd to help seniors learn the government’s Moments of Life mobile app. The Moments of Life mobile app allows the Merdeka Generation seniors 60 years and above to use the mobile app to easily access government subsidies and benefits which are given only to them.

Digital Clinic is a tripartite programme where many hands come together to help seniors embrace technology for daily living. There are several factors to ensure sustainability:

(i) Low barrier to entry for organisations to volunteer. Volunteers feel confident to help out without intensive training;

(ii) Simple to set up – Digital Clinics can pop up in community spaces easily, with just tables and chairs;

(iii) Low cost deployment – since the Digital Clinics are supported by volunteers, it has helped to augment the limited resources in giving help to seniors, which are typically high-touch; and

(iv) Positive experience by volunteers - 100% of the volunteers found the Digital Clinic session meaningful and 95% of them would like to participate in more of such volunteering activities the engagement meaningful as it gives each volunteer opportunities to interact one-on-one with seniors. This will ensure a constant stream of volunteers for the initiative.

The DC initiative aims to promote the WSIS values of equality, solidarity and shared responsibility. DC is designed to provide seniors with one-on-one assistance to make it easy for Singaporeans to adopt technology, especially those who find it challenging. This would enable them to participate meaningfully in basic digital activities, and ultimately, reap greater benefits in using technology. By having the relevant skills, everyone will have equal opportunities to enjoy the benefits of a digital society and will not be left behind as Singapore journeys towards its Smart Nation vision. Ensuring that everyone, including seniors, are digitally ready is a national effort. To reach out to as many seniors as possible, DCs are available island-wide and pop-ups will be available at communities that require such assistance. Materials provided to the participants are available in Singapore’s vernacular languages (i.e. English, Mandarin, Malay, Tamil) to ensure that all seniors, regardless of race or language, have equal access to learning basic digital skills. IMDA also engages both student and corporate volunteers to have a role and to share the responsibility of providing help to vulnerable segments of the population so that Singapore can be a digitally inclusive society. To date, IMDA has about 35 corporate SG:D Friends collaborating with IMDA towards building a digitally inclusive society. Through these collaborations, the society as a whole comes together to build social bonds and solidarity, bridging the digital divide and preventing social isolation amongst the seniors.