NICE reveals new standards for digital tech

NICE has published new standards set out the requirements needed to develop digital health technologies for the NHS and speed up the uptake of products like healthcare apps and wearable devices. Working collaboratively NHS England, NICE, NHS Digital, MedCity, Public Health England, and DigitalHealth. London has been engaging with industry, commissioners, and innovators to understand what is required for health technology to thrive in the UK. The resulting standards have been developed to support digital health technology development and provide guidance on what evidence is needed when innovators present their products to NHS commissioners.
“Harnessing new digital technologies could help the NHS provide better care for patients and empower them to take more control of their own health and care,” said Dr. Indra Joshi, clinical lead for NHS England’s digital experience programme. “The NHS needs to be sure any new digital tools are backed by appropriate evidence and these new standards, developed in partnership with NHS bodies, industry and academia, will be the start of that dialogue of defining what “good” looks like in digital health technologies.”
Split into two, the standards address both clinical and economic impact and what evidence is needed to develop a case for use in the NHS. They also equip commissioners so they know what information to ask for from technology developers and understand what to expect in return. This will enable the healthcare system to identify which products show promise, which ones need further development and which ones are unsuitable.