Navigating Digital Health Innovation amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: Experience from the RESPIRE Digital Health Workshops

01 Apr 2024
Aim: To equip the NIHR Global Health Research Unit on Respiratory Health (RESPIRE) partners, including researchers, clinicians, policymakers, and investors, with the knowledge and skills required for the rapid innovation, scaling, and sustainable implementation of digital health solutions. Context: The COVID-19 pandemic had prompted a healthcare paradigm shift with invention and adoption of many digital health innovations. However, scaling these innovations is a challenge, necessitating a structured approach to improve capacity and facilitate effective and sustainable implementation. Change Description and Rationale: A team, consisted of digital health experts, healthcare practitioners, and e-learning specialists formulated the content of a series of workshops on digital health innovation to be run over 8 weeks and to address issues related to implementation of and scaling up of digital health solutions. Strategy for Change: There were three key steps to the change strategy: (1) establishing a diverse faculty, (2) identifying scaling challenges and success factors, and (3) using an exemplar project for focused discussions. Prominent international industry and academic speakers were invited to the workshops to cover important topics including innovation, design, policy, regulatory issues, finance, and funding related to digital health innovation. Impact: The workshops had garnered positive responses from participants, with high satisfaction rates for content. This initiative had fostered discussions and collaboration among diverse stakeholders. Its impact on the implementation and sustainability of the exemplary project is still unknown. Lessons Learned: The workshops were a good starting point for digital health innovation. However, the programme was short and there was a lack of funding for the full implementation of the innovation. For the programme to be sustainable, it has to be adapted with input from stakeholders.

Resource information

Respiratory conditions
  • Chronic Respiratory Disease
Respiratory topics
  • Technology
  • Education
Type of resource
Abstract
Project(s)
  • RESPIRE
Conference
Athens 2024
Author(s)
Adina Abdullah1, Jayakayatri Jeevajothi Nathan Nathan1, Siti Nurkamilla Ramdzan1, Norita Hussein1, Nik Sherina Hanafi1, Ping Yein Lee2, Ai Theng Cheong3, Monica Fletcher4, Jay Evans4, Ee Ming Khoo1 1Department of Primary Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2UM eHealth Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 3Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra, Serdang , Malaysia, 4NIHR Global Health Research Unit on Respiratory Health (RESPIRE), Usher Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom