WHO/Europe will host a webinar on 23 September at 11:00–12:00 Central European Summer Time to explore how digital health technologies can be financed sustainably and equitably across the WHO European Region. This is the 17th webinar in the Decoding Data and Digital Health series, which addresses digital health topics of importance to countries in the Region.
Unlocking the potential of digital health through smarter financing
Digital health tools can help health workers deliver more personalized care, make health systems run better and help patients make informed choices about their health. But many countries in the European Region still struggle to adopt these tools widely, mainly due to financial and structural barriers. A key challenge is that there is no clear policy on how digital health tools should be paid for – both in terms of coverage under public health systems, and how to compensate the providers and developers who deliver them.
WHO/Europe’s recently published policy brief, of the same title as the webinar, reviews how countries are handling coverage and compensation. It finds that most countries do not yet have consistent ways to assess digital health tools. Payment tends to be fee-for-service, which can encourage overuse of services that do not add much clinical value. Outcome- and value-based payment models could be more effective, but they need strong data systems and administrative capacity that many countries do not yet have. The brief lays out six policy actions countries can take.
The Regional Digital Health Action Plan for the WHO European Region 2023–2030 underlines the importance of sustainable financing as a prerequisite for inclusive and people-centred digital transformation. Without clear financing pathways, the adoption of digital health risks being driven by those with greater financial means, deepening existing health inequities rather than reducing them.
The webinar
The 1-hour event will provide the opportunity for international experts to discuss the policy brief and explore practical options for reforming digital health financing across the Region. Participants will be able to take part in a question-and-answer session and learn about best practices, emerging country experiences and policy recommendations for building effective and equitable financing pathways for digital health technologies.
The event will be hosted in English and Russian. It is open to the public; in particular digital health developers, health and care workers, policy-makers, researchers and representatives of advocacy groups are encouraged to participate. Please use the registration link if you are interested in taking part.
The Decoding Data and Digital Health webinar series is supported by the European Commission (Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety) through the action “Supporting Member States in the WHO European Region in strengthening health information systems and boosting health data governance”.