Tech News Summary:
- The World Health Organization (WHO) has released the second edition of the Classification of digital interventions, services, and applications in health, aiming to support various sectors by accurately documenting and describing the uses of digital technology to promote health goals.
- This updated publication builds upon the previous edition and delves into how digital health interventions can be used to address personal and health challenges within the healthcare system. The Classification is organized around three axes: types of digital health interventions, target population or users, and health system level where they are delivered.
- The updated Classification serves as a valuable resource for purposes such as systematizing language, standardizing documentation, supporting categorization of digital services for health, and guiding research design efforts related to how digital health interventions contribute towards achieving global public health goals.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has released the second edition of its Digital Health Classification, a comprehensive guide to interventions and applications that aims to provide a common language and framework for digital health technologies.
The classification, which was first introduced in 2018, has been updated to include new categories and interventions that have emerged in the digital health space. It covers a wide range of areas including health information and data management, communication and training, clinical decision support, and health service delivery platforms.
According to Dr. Bernhard Schwartländer, WHO’s chief of health innovations, the classification is an important tool for policymakers, researchers, and developers to navigate the complex world of digital health technologies. “The digital health landscape is constantly evolving, and it is essential to have a framework that can keep up with these changes and provide guidance on the latest innovations,” he said.
The classification also aims to promote the responsible and effective use of digital health technologies, as well as to ensure that they are aligned with WHO’s global health priorities. It is designed to be a resource for countries and organizations looking to incorporate digital health into their health systems in a way that is safe, effective, and equitable.
The second edition of the Digital Health Classification is now available on the WHO website, and is expected to be a valuable resource for the global health community as it continues to explore the potential of digital technologies to improve health outcomes.