WHO brief shares actions for accelerated uptake of digital solutions in healthcare

The World Health Organization (WHO) has released a policy brief setting out suggestions to help guide national approaches for accelerating the uptake of digital health technologies amongst the health and care workforce in the WHO European Region.

Recognising that while digital health technologies are “becoming an integral part of successful and sustainable health service deliveries” in all member states of the WHO European Region, the brief notes that there are key barriers to increasing the use of these technologies amongst the workforce.

The Accelerating the uptake of digital solutions by the health and care workforce in the WHO European Region paper outlines barriers to implementation, such as infrastructure, training, time, workload, ethics, and legal and technical factors.

It also sets out evidence-informed considerations for policy makers on the implementation of new digital health technologies.

Evidence used in the paper was derived from systematic reviews of peer-reviewed academic literature and the 2022 Survey on Digital Health in the WHO European Region.

“Accelerating digital health technology uptake by the health and care workforce requires addressing systemic and institutional barriers, as well as human factors,” the authors state.

The paper also found that evidence on potential barriers, as well as facilitators, for the use of artificial intelligence models, machine learning algorithms, and platforms using features like augmented reality, is limited.

Digital literacy and developing skills

Links between digital literacy and more positive attitudes towards adopting new technologies were highlighted in the paper, with authors noting that this is also key for generating trust in the use of digital health technologies.

The brief pointed to the 2022 Survey on Digital Health in the WHO European Region, which revealed that 72% of responding member states recognise strengthening digital health skills of the workforce as a “major strategic priority.”

Training should be consistent, the brief notes, and incorporated into undergraduate education as well as continuing professional development.

In 2022, more than two thirds of responding member states had established continuing education programmes through in-service digital health training – with the majority of efforts directed towards medical professionals, though fewer made this available to nursing professionals, pharmacy, or dentistry.

The briefing authors suggest these results indicate gaps in digital health training currently offered to the workforce.

The policy paper recommends training for new technologies should be tailored to the workforce, taking into account the local context and best mode of delivery for that group.

Engagement and tailored approaches

Authors of the policy brief recognised that the introduction of new technologies can have a nuanced impact amongst individuals and organisations, and require complex organisational change.

One-size-fits-all approaches risk “suboptimal user engagement,” the authors cautioned.

Policies and implementation strategies should be tailored to meet the needs of the workforce in different health and care delivery, and the impacts should be monitored, the paper suggests.

The 2022 Survey on Digital Health in the WHO European Region found that, while 77% of member states established a national government agency or organisation responsible for monitoring digital health interventions – evaluation was not being conducted systematically.

Read the full brief on the WHO website.