Making information easier to trust and use: Dr Matt Taylor’s Topol journey from clinic bottlenecks to a patient-led app

"The best time to begin was yesterday; the second-best time is now".

Matt is a doctor specialising in psychiatry and an Academic Clinical Fellow in Sheffield at the Sheffield Health Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust.

As part of Topol Digital Fellowship he is developing a mobile app, SYmple, for patients under a specific type of specialist mental health team to access reliable, clinician-approved health information tailored to their needs and quickly find local health and wellbeing services.

From clinic bottlenecks to a patient-led tool

The idea took shape while Matt was running a physical-health clinic within an Early Intervention in Psychosis team.

Growing up in a family of self-confessed technophiles, he was quick to see where a digital solution could ease some of the strain. Nationally mandated checks were repetitive, appointments were dominated by form-filling, and patients often went home with printed information they weren’t ready to absorb.

"I wanted a way for people to review trusted information in their own time, and to provide the data we repeatedly ask for before the appointment, so the time with clinicians is used for what matters most."

It was this thought process which led to the idea to create SYmple, and the Topol Fellowship provided the perfect launchpad for this.

The app’s core value

• Trusted content, endorsed by clinicians: reduces misinformation and anxiety
• Local services directory: connects people to relevant, timely support
• Pre-appointment data capture: shortens appointments, improves completeness and safety
• Optional patient notes/questions: helps people arrive prepared and remember what to ask

How user research sharpened the design

Early user research and testing, prompted by the Fellowship Learning Partners TPXimpacts ‘Design research and discovery’ workshop, changed the trajectory.

"Without Topol I’d have tried to perfect it before showing anyone. User research surfaced issues I wouldn’t have spotted alone." and Matt embraced the test often, test early, mentality of getting his ideas and the prototypes into the users hands as soon as possible to gain valuable feedback and insights.

A few key findings and responses:

• Literacy and digital literacy vary. Matt is adding voiceover and considering low-text patterns
• Not everyone can or wants to use a smartphone at all times. The team is keeping non-digital pathways in place
• Cross-platform access matters. A single codebase approach is being used to reach both iOS and Android

This iterative approach moved the project from “feature ideas” to tested, accessible workflows built around real use.

Delivery discipline: project management that sticks

Topol’s workshops provided practical delivery scaffolding, agile ways of working, problem reframing, stakeholder engagement, and clear feedback cycles.

"I’d led pieces of work before, but not end-to-end. The Fellowship gave me usable structures, sprints, decision logs, show-and-tells, that keep momentum and make progress visible."

The combination of mentorship, funding, and credibility also opened doors with partners and technical reviewers. A recent independent code review focused not on feasibility, "can it work?", but on how to move towards publication, validating the delivery approach.

Designing for trust and inclusion

Trust is a recurring theme in Matt’s work. He’s acutely aware that for some people, using an app may feel alien or unsafe, particularly in early recovery from a psychotic episode. "For those individuals, the right choice might not be digital at all, and that’s okay," he says.

The project is therefore designed to complement, not replace, face-to-face care. It’s about creating another route to support, one that’s consistent, accessible, and easy to return to when patients are ready.

Looking ahead

The app is now entering testing and refinement with input from developers, clinicians, and service users. The goal is to pilot it within Matt’s clinical team by the end of his Fellowship, tracking outcomes such as appointment efficiency, data completeness, and patient confidence. With options for patients to share selected information with their care team.

Beyond that, he envisions broader use: "In the future, I’d love this to be a standard part of care, a tool that helps patients prepare for appointments, remember their questions, and access trusted information when they need it most."

He’s also exploring possibilities for future integration with clinician dashboards or wearable technology, allowing for more continuous, data-driven insights, though he’s quick to emphasise that privacy and inclusion will remain central principles and this is probably a little further down the roadmap.

What Matt would tell his earlier self

"Start small, test earlier, and show your work. Progress compounds when users and stakeholders can react to something real."

For Matt, the Topol Digital Fellowship has been a catalyst: user research to build the right thing, project-management discipline to build it the right way, and credibility to bring people along. The result is a focused app that aims to give patients trustworthy information, reclaim precious appointment time, and connect people to support when they need it most.

If you would like to discuss the app or talk to Matt say hello at [email protected]