NHSX launches assessment criteria for digital health tools

NHSX has launched in beta, a Digital Technology Assessment Criteria (DTAC) to set out how digital health and social care technologies will be assessed.

It has also designed a ‘guide to good practice’ for digital and data-driven health technologies, set to be published by the NHS AI Lab in October.

“Individually these will support digital health developers to design and deliver the best products for patients and the health and care system. Together they form the beginning of a broader support package which will also include a buyers’ guide to digital technologies, and evaluation resources for the health and care system,” according to an NHSX blog post.

The DTAC aims to streamline the adoption of “safe and innovative” technologies focusing on five key areas: clinical safety; data protection; technical assurance; interoperability; and usability and accessibility.

It has been designed to replace the existing Digital Assessment Questionnaire (DAQ) and Digital Assessment Portal (DAP).

The criteria will be in beta for three months to allow work with developers, service providers and assessors to determine any changes that might be required.

The DTAC will be used to asses entry to the NHS Apps Library and procurement frameworks including the Health Systems Support Framework.

“We will work with teams in NHS England and NHS Improvement such as diabetes and mental health teams, to use the DTAC as a baseline expectation for nationally supported products, identifying additional criteria that may be required for those areas, for example where additional legislation applies,” NHSX said.