The world’s first program to integrate digital health standards in multiple countries was launched today by the Nordic Interoperability Project (NIP) at the HIMSS22 European Health Conference & Exhibition.
The Nordic Digital Health and Evaluation Criteria (NordDEC) program aims to enable healthcare providers in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Iceland to evaluate and identify reliable digital healthcare technologies in healthcare and preventative medicine. is.
There are also clear parameters when planning new products and market access strategies to provide guidance to product developers and technology owners.
The certification framework is Organization for Care and Health App Reviews (ORCHA) The project was jointly funded NIP And the Nordic health tech industry.
Important reason
The Scandinavian region By 2030, it will be the most integrated health area in the world, according to the Nordic Council.
The transition to digital health and the focus on self-management of health by Scandinavian people will be an important step in this journey, but it also poses new risks.
Despite the 350,000 digital medical technologies on the market, Scandinavian countries do not have standardized regulations and risk management systems in place, and healthcare professionals cannot safely find and prescribe digital technologies. ..
The NordDEC program aims to lead the world in the large-scale adoption of connected healthcare technologies by solving this problem and establishing a common benchmark for standards across the region. It is based on international best practices and allows countries to add localized accreditation standards in addition to regional-wide baseline standards.
Digital health products have been tested against over 500 measurements across data and technical security, clinical assurance, and ease of use. Further assurance of security and effectiveness requires new standards such as evidence of intrusion (PEN) and vulnerability testing.
Larger context
on the other hand, European Health Data Space (EHDS) It was announced by the European Commission last month. This framework has the potential to leverage health data for nearly 450 million people, promotes cross-border care between EU member states and opens up research opportunities.
On record
Anders Tunold-Hanssen, CEO of NIP, said: The program provides suppliers with an attractive platform to reach the entire Nordic healthcare system and breaks down current barriers to market access. The next step is to create a digital library for Scandinavia that contains thousands of top quality apps that healthcare professionals can use safely and confidently. “
Liz Ashall-Payne, Founding CEO of ORCHA, said: “This is a groundbreaking project for all countries associated with ORCHA, and learning can be extended to other geographic regions, with suppliers to other regions such as the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Canada and the United States. It’s a great starting point for easily meeting the requirements for entry. ”
