Implementation of a new Digi-HTA process for digital health technologies in Finland

In August 2022, the Finnish Coordinating Center for Health Technology Assessment (FinCCHTA) published an article regarding the implementation of a new Digi-HTA process for digital health technologies in Finland. This study aimed to determine whether it would be possible to use Digi-HTA recommendations to support healthcare decision-makers. Secondly, from the perspective of companies offering different types of digital health technology (DHT) products, this study assessed the suitability of using the Digi-HTA framework to perform HTAs for their products.

The following key conclusions were provided:

• According to the healthcare professionals that participated in the study, the Digi-HTA recommendations contain clear and beneficial information. Better integration into decision-making processes would help them to make better use of these recommendations;
• More awareness about the Digi-HTA recommendation process and its possibilities to support decision-makers is needed;
• A low number of available Digi-HTA recommendations is seen as a barrier to utilizing the recommendations in the decision-making process;
• The field of DHT covers a wide range of technology solutions, such as mHealth, digital platforms, artificial intelligence, and robotics. Responses of DHT companies to the survey indicate that the general-purpose Digi-HTA framework would be an applicable tool for performing assessments for DHT products that correspond to those surveyed;
• Further development is still needed based on results, and the biggest improvement is needed for the usability and accessibility domain to make it comprehensive for all kinds of DHTs.

The Digi-HTA is an evaluation method for digital products and services for health care and social well-being. It is used to assess the suitability of a product or service; the assessment subareas mainly include effectiveness, safety, costs, data security and protection, usability, and accessibility.

The full details in Finnish can be found here.

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