Monitoring the implementation of digital health: an overview of selected national and international methodologies

Abstract

This overview contributes to the monitoring and evaluation of the WHO global strategy on digital health 2020–2025 and the measurement framework for the WHO European Programme of Work 2020–2025, which identifies digital health as a highly relevant indicator area for the WHO European Region, for which either suitable internationally agreed measures or adequate data at the international and regional levels are lacking. The review found that the international community had made progress in monitoring digital health. However, more should be done to strengthen the evidence base needed to monitor and shape the digital transformation of health-care systems. Existing metrics and indicators struggle to keep up with the rapid evolution of digital health. In particular, the measurement of governance and reuse of health data across health-care systems, and technical and operational readiness to share these data for statistical and research purposes (‎e.g. system-wide interoperability)‎, are emerging as common and challenging priorities.