WHO Unveils Second Updated Classification for Digital Health Interventions, Services & Applications

Building upon the 2018 version, the updated edition aims to outline how digital health interventions in digital services can effectively address personal and health system challenges.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has unveiled the second edition of the Classification of Digital Interventions, Services, and Applications in Health, providing a comprehensive taxonomy to guide the health, development, research, and technology sectors in precisely documenting and describing the applications of digital technology for health advancement.

This updated edition builds upon the 2018 release titled "Classification of Digital Health Interventions v1.0". It aims to delineate how digital health interventions integrated into digital services and applications can effectively address personal and health system challenges.

The three axes around which the classification is organised are personal challenges, health system challenges, and uses of digital health interventions.

The second edition introduces new digital health interventions and incorporates a category focused on equity within the health systems challenges section, reflecting the latest additions in the published literature.

The "Systems Categories" section has also been updated to encompass five services and application groups aligned with digital health architecture blueprint guidance. These groupings provide a comprehensive overview of the technology capabilities used in health, supported by detailed descriptions.

The primary drivers for the utilisation of digital tools in health are to bridge performance gaps in the health system and enhance access to quality, timely, and actionable information for both the health workforce and health-seeking individuals.

With ongoing technological advancements, there has been a global surge in the development and utilisation of digital technologies in health, supporting person-centred healthcare and augmenting routine prevention, management, diagnostic interventions, and healthcare coordination by the health workforce.

The updated Classification serves as a valuable resource for various purposes:

1. Systematising Language: It helps systematise the language used to describe challenges in the health system or experienced by users that digital interventions may address.

2. Standardising Documentation: The Classification standardised the documentation, analysis, and reporting of digital interventions, applications, and services in health.

3. Articulating Digital Capabilities: It articulates the digital capabilities employed within digital technologies for health, facilitating the development of requirements documentation.

4. Supporting Categorisation: The Classification supports the categorisation of digital services and applications for digital health, aiding in inventory analysis, planning, and investment coordination.

As the health sector continues to harness digital advancements, it becomes crucial to have up-to-date resources guiding and supporting this work. The Classification serves as a resource facilitating collaboration between stakeholders focused on health and those focused on technology.

It helps understand and prioritise developing and implementing digital technologies responding to evolving health needs. Additionally, it provides standardised nomenclature for designing research and curating findings on how digital health interventions contribute to health goals.

To ensure ongoing relevance, WHO has provided a feedback form, inviting stakeholders to propose additions and improvements or offer feedback for future updates. This collaborative approach ensures that the Classification remains a dynamic and responsive tool in the rapidly evolving landscape of digital health interventions.

In another development, last month, WHO released a comprehensive publication outlining critical regulatory considerations for using artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare.

This initiative underscores the need to prioritise AI system safety, effectiveness, and accessibility for those who require them while fostering collaboration among various stakeholders, including developers, regulators, manufacturers, healthcare professionals, and patients, according to a WHO statement.