NHSX Call for Feedback on Digital Health Technology Standard

To improve the way the NHS assesses technologies such as digital health apps and tools, NHSX has developed a draft Digital Health Technology Standard. It aims to help developers to understand what is expected of them and speed up and streamline how health technologies are reviewed and commissioned for use in the NHS and social care. It combines elements of the existing Digital Assessment Questions (DAQs) with other data and interoperability standards. They will also put in place a clear process for reviewing, assessing and evaluating digital health technologies that claim to meet this standard.

Please take a look at the draft standard here.

NHSX recognise the need to co-develop these with stakeholders including SMEs, developers, clinicians, commissioners and patient groups, before the planned introduction of the standard later in 2020.

They have called out for feedback on the standard via a short survey to ensure it is robust, proportionate and attainable.

Sara Nelson, Programme Director DigitalHealth.London Accelerator programme said:

“We warmly welcome this attempt by NHSX to standardise how health technologies are reviewed and commissioned by the NHS and social care. It is absolutely right that the NHS sets the highest standards for digital health technology to ensure patients and staff get the best possible care and services. Until now there has been no national standard of expectations of how to review, assess and evaluate digital technologies. This has meant time costly duplication, variations of processes and requirements and ultimately delays to digital innovations making a difference to people’s lives and work. NHSX have asked for feedback and input to these recently published standards and I would encourage our Accelerator companies, partners and NHS staff to contribute.”

The survey runs until Wednesday 22 April 2020, you participate in it here.