On February 23, 2021, NHSX launched Digital Technology Assessment Criteria for health and social care (DTAC), the new national baseline criteria designed to provide suppliers and healthcare organizations a clear direction on building and buying good digital health technologies.
By setting a national baseline, the intention is to smooth the path between development and procurement so that the NHS and social care may realize the benefits that digital technologies can bring. DTAC will apply to all types of digital health technologies, from public-facing health apps to digital systems used within hospitals, such as electronic patient records.
The assessment criteria are focused on five core areas. Sections 1-4 form the assessed pass or fail criteria, with a separate conformity rating provided around usability and accessibility:
- Clinical safety: assessed to ensure that baseline clinical safety measures are in place and that organizations undertake clinical risk management activities to manage this risk;
- Data protection: assessed to ensure that data protection and privacy is "by design" and the rights of individuals are protected;
- Technical assurance: assessed to ensure that products are secure and stable;
- Interoperability: assessed to ensure that data is communicated accurately and quickly whilst staying safe and secure;
- Usability and accessibility: products are allocated a conformity rating having been benchmarked against good practice and the NHS service standard.
NHSX continues to work with other key stakeholders, such as Accelerated Access Collaborative (AAC), to support innovators, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), and NICE to build on the Evidence Standards Framework for digital health technologies. This framework describes the level of evidence needed to demonstrate effectiveness and value for digital technologies.
See more details here.
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