New health technology assessment criteria seek to speed up approval processes for Digital Health tools to be adopted in social care services.
NHSX, the UK Government body responsible for the development of technology best practice in the National Health Service (NHS), launched a new process for Digital Health technology assessment. The new Digital Technology Assessment Criteria (DTAC) aims to make medical staff and patients aware of the Digital Health technologies that meet the standards set by the NHS.
The new guide includes an evaluation model based on four categories: clinical safety, data protection, technical security, and interoperability. As well as score on usability and accessibility.
Matthew Gould, chief executive of NHSX, explained that, “The new Digital Technology Assessment Criteria is designed to give staff, patients and citizens confidence that the digital health tools they use meet the NHS’s high standards.”
He further mentioned that Digital Health technologies are already being used across the NHS and increasingly in social care. In this way the NHS is looking to increase access to health services and reduce the burden on healthcare staff. In terms of security, Gould mentioned that, “The new assessment process will identify the digital tools that meet NHS standards on clinical safety, cyber security and data protection from amongst the thousands available in the market, and do it more quickly than before.”
The NHSX is looking to the DTAC, to ensure speed in the evaluation processes for Digital Health tools always meeting the high standards they manage. The health authorities hope that in the coming months it will be integrated into the different NHS institutions and organizations at a local level, so that products will first be evaluated through the tool before being used.
