Which one? A suggested approach for evaluating digital health maturity models

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Digital Health Strategy
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Digital health maturity models are crucial for healthcare organizations to assess capabilities and plan technology integration for enhanced patient care.
• Numerous commercial models exist, but a lack of evidence-based methods hinders the selection of the most effective model for specific organizational contexts.
• Selecting the appropriate digital health maturity model is challenging due to limited objective assessment tools.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a comprehensive framework for evaluating digital health maturity models.
• To provide a structured methodology for recommending the most suitable digital health maturity model for healthcare organizations.

Main Methods:

• A systematic, consultative, and iterative approach was employed, combining literature analysis and stakeholder needs assessment (n=23).
• A design workshop involving researchers integrated content and design considerations into the initial framework.
• External stakeholder reviews (n=20) refined and finalized the framework through iterative improvements.

Main Results:

• The developed framework includes criteria for assessing healthcare context, feasibility, integrity, completeness, and actionability of digital health maturity models.
• This framework enables users to compare the performance of different models objectively.
• It facilitates the selection of the most appropriate digital health maturity model tailored to the user's specific context.

Conclusions:

• The framework offers a consistent and objective methodology for comparing digital health maturity models, guiding selection processes.
• This systematic approach is vital for healthcare organizations navigating the transition to digital health systems.
• The framework supports the overarching goals of improving care quality, reducing costs, and enhancing patient and provider experiences.