Open Call HORIZON-HLTH-2023-IND-06-07: Development and Harmonisation of Methodologies for Assessing Digital Health Technologies in Europe

European CommissionThis topic aims at addressing digital transition challenges through supporting activities that are enabling or contributing to one or several expected impacts of destination 6 "Maintaining an innovative, sustainable and globally competitive health industry". More specifically, this topic aims at supporting activities that are contributing to the following impact area: "High quality digital services for all". To that end, proposals under this topic should aim to deliver results that are directed towards and contributing to all of the following expected outcomes:
  • Policymakers in the EU have at their disposal a methodological framework and standardised approaches for assessing digital health technologies, that helps them make evidence-based decisions regarding the introduction of digital health technologies in their health and care systems with added value for patients and society.
  • Regulators have access to robust, scientifically underpinned evaluation methodologies.
  • EU citizens gain faster access to safe and well-performing person-centred digital technologies and are empowered through these tools.
  • Health technology developers are better informed and dispose of more guidance on the evidence needed to demonstrate the added value of digital health technologies and have better insights on market predictability.
  • (Digital) Health Industry/digital health technology developers and HTA bodies can contribute to the development of EU harmonised Health Technology Assessment (HTA) rules based on common principles.
  • Improved cross-border use and interoperability of digital health tools and services throughout the EU and Associated Countries.
  • Increased trust in digital health technologies and better integration of digital health tools and services in health and care systems.

Digital health technologies have been driving a revolution in health and care ranging from general use of computers to algorithms designed to assist radiologists and radiotherapists in detecting and treating diseases, from robotic surgery to artificial intelligence, machine learning, computer aided decision models, and from mobile apps helping patients to self-manage their disease to electronic health records.

Digital health technologies are expected to further contribute to better people-centred health and care systems and have the vast potential to improve our ability to accurately prevent, diagnose and treat diseases.

However, assessing the added value and health benefits for patients and society pose a number of challenges in particular of methodological and technical nature. Best practice for common approaches in methodology for digital health are lacking, especially in the digital health tools that include artificial intelligence algorithms. A framework for the assessment of the digital transformation of health services and its impact is vital to generate the evidence required for decision-making on stimulating, using and/or funding digital health strategies at various levels in the health and care systems.

The Expert Panel on effective ways of investing in Health (EXPH) recommended in its report 'Assessing the impact of digital transformation of health services', further investment in the development of assessment methodologies and in a European repository for evaluation methods and evidence of digital health services.

To date, such assessment frameworks are relatively scarce, especially those addressing the transformative aspects of healthcare delivery on the organisational and operational level.

The proposals are expected to develop and harmonise methodologies for assessing digital health technologies (including mhealth apps and telehealth, as well as Artificial Intelligence powered health technologies) in order to facilitate assessment of their added value at individual, health system and society levels and facilitate the cross-border deployment of digital health services within the EU. Existing Health Technology Assessment (HTA) methodology is well developed for health technologies such as medicinal products, but also for some categories of medical devices; however digitalisation raises new methodological challenges to the standardisation of assessment criteria such as privacy, cybersecurity, data storage and handling, interoperability, usability etc. Also including aspects like learning curves, iterative development of innovations, variability between settings, determining optimal timing of evaluations in the development process (maturity) are not yet solved.

Proposals are expected to build on existing frameworks such as (but not restricted to) 'Model for Assessment of Telemedicine' (MAST framework - Kidholm et al., 2012) and the results of previous EU-funded projects in particular (but not restricted to) COMED, project that already identified HTA challenges of telehealth and mhealth, and mHealth hub.

Proposals should consider involving the JRC to take advantage of its expertise on assessment frameworks of innovative health technologies and its activities at the interface between research and regulatory aspects and/or in translating assessment results into best practice recommendations anchored in EU policies. In that respect, the JRC is open to collaborate with any successful proposal after its approval.

Opening date: 12 January 2023

Deadline: 13 April 2023 17:00:00 Brussels time

Deadline Model: single-stage

Type of action: HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions

For topic conditions, documents and submission service, please visit:
https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/horizon-hlth-2023-ind-06-07

Most Popular Now

Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foun…

Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust (NLAG) has launched new NHS App features to transform the way patients access and manage their appointments within the NHS. The programme, known...

Genomics England Deploys Sectra Imaging …

Genomics England has completed installation of an enterprise imaging system that will help to support a world-pioneering initiative for cancer research. The programme is linking whole genome sequencing, pathology and...

Orion Health Strengthens French Business…

Orion Health is strengthening its presence in France with the appointment of digital health industry heavyweight, Tristan Debove, to lead its operations. Tristan Debove has more than 25 years of experience...

AI Approach may Help Detect Alzheimer's …

Although investigators have made strides in detecting signs of Alzheimer's disease using high-quality brain imaging tests collected as part of research studies, a team at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) recently...

AI Predicts Cancer Patient Survival by R…

A team of researchers from the University of British Columbia and BC Cancer have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) model that predicts cancer patient survival more accurately and with more...

Virtual Reality Games can be Used as a T…

Virtual reality gamers (VR game) who finished it faster than their fellow gamers also have higher levels of general intelligence and processing capacity. This was the result of a study...

Will Future Computers Run on Human Brain…

A "biocomputer" powered by human brain cells could be developed within our lifetime, according to Johns Hopkins University researchers who expect such technology to exponentially expand the capabilities of modern...

Detecting Anaemia Earlier in Children Us…

Researchers at UCL and University of Ghana have successfully predicted whether children have anaemia using only a set of smartphone images. The study, published in PLOS ONE, brought together researchers and...

AI can Help Optimize CT Scan X-Ray Radia…

Computed tomography (CT) is one of the most powerful and well-established diagnostic tools available to modern medicine. An increasing number of people have been opting for CT scans, raising concerns...

Study Reveals Smartphone Spyware Apps ar…

Smartphone spyware apps that allow people to spy on each other are not only hard to notice and detect, they also will easily leak the sensitive personal information they...

Orion Health Appoints Mark Hindle as Vic…

Orion Health has appointed Mark Hindle as its new vice president for the UK and Ireland. Mark has joined the leading supplier of digital tools to improve healthcare experience from...