Recommendations to promote the digital healthcare transformation in the clinical practice: findings from an international consensus development method

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Healthcare professionals are a fundamental component of the digital health transformation in all healthcare systems. However, the barriers still affecting the digital transformation in the healthcare sector suggest that the processes used to develop policies, mainly top-down, require some innovation. OBJECTIVE: Development and validation of recommendations to support healthcare professionals in the digital transformation of their daily practice, involving multisectoral and international stakeholders. METHODS: A consensus development method covering the years 2021 to 2023, combining top-down and bottom-up approaches, was employed by the Digital EducationaL programme InvolVing hEalth pRofessionals (DELIVER) consortium. Policy, literature and needs analyses were conducted at national level and then combined at international level to develop recommendations. Subsequently, experts in the field of digital health, healthcare professionals, managers and others were involved in the final DELIVER Transnational Consensus Development Conference to validate the recommendations developed. RESULTS: Ten recommendations classified into three main domains were validated: (a) encouraging healthcare professionals to welcome the digitalization of the workplace (three recommendations); (b) ensuring basic/advanced and general/specific competencies (four recommendations); and (c) offering technical and organizational support (three recommendations). CONCLUSIONS: The recommendations should be considered by multi-sectoral stakeholders, particularly policymakers and healthcare managers, to address the still-present critical issues preventing the digital health transformation in the clinical practice.

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