WHO/Europe will host a webinar on 18 April to explore the landscape of digital health reimbursement. This is the seventh webinar in the Decoding Data and Digital Health series, which addresses digital health topics of importance to countries in the WHO European Region.
Reimbursing health-care providers is key to accessible digital health
A study led by the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and supported by WHO/Europe last year found that digital services are more likely to be adopted in the health sector when there are clear pricing strategies and well-structured reimbursement methods in place. Reimbursing health-care providers for the use of digital health solutions is key to promoting access to these tools, reducing costs for providers and patients.
Digital health doesn’t always fit into established funding structures, posing obstacles for health-care facilities wishing to adopt a wide range of digital services. However, to improve health-care accessibility during the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries in the Region reimbursed health-care providers for delivering services through telehealth or mobile health apps.
To ensure sustainable digital health integration and financing, the authors of the LSE and WHO study recommend developing a comprehensive, value-based framework for the assessment of digital health solutions. In its 2023 report, “Digital health in the European Region: the ongoing journey to commitment and transformation”, WHO/Europe calls for urgent investment, robust financing strategies, and strong collaboration between Member States.
The webinar
The 1-hour event will convene international experts to share insights, strategies, and practical solutions to digital health reimbursement challenges. By focusing on country experiences, including regulatory frameworks, policies, and payment models, the webinar will promote a knowledge exchange on how digital health can be integrated into health systems in a financially sustainable way. The panel of experts will address critical aspects of digital health reimbursement, such as strategies, value-based care, and stakeholder engagement and collaboration.
Speakers will include:
- Dr Petra Hoogendoorn, Coordinator, Horizon Europe project Label2Enable;
- Ms Fruzsina Mezei, Digital Health Consultant, EIT Health;
- Dr Robin van Kessel (moderator), Senior Health Policy Research Associate, London School of Economics and Political Science;
- Ms Louisa Stuwe, Project Director, Digital Health Delegation, Ministry of Health and Solidarity, France; and
- Dr Steven Vandeput, Advisor, Digital Health, beMedTech.
The webinar will be hosted in English and Russian. It is open to the public, including digital health developers, health insurance professionals, policy-makers, researchers, representatives of patient advocacy groups, and health-care practitioners. 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 (DG SANTE) through the action “Supporting Member States in the WHO European Region in strengthening health information systems and boosting health data governance”.