Minister for Health publishes ‘Digital for Care: A Digital Health Framework for Ireland 2024-2030'

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly is launching ‘Digital for Care: A Digital Health Framework for Ireland 2024-2030’. This framework sets out a roadmap to digitally transform health services in Ireland and improve access for patients.

This year will see the roll-out of a patient app that will provide people with important medical history and records. Next year will see the rollout of a ‘Shared Care Record’ to integrate patient records no matter what part of the health service they engage with. A longer-term deployment of Electronic Health Records (EHR) is also included.

Given the critical role existing, and technologies of the future, digitalisation and data will play in shaping the Irish healthcare service, the purpose of this framework is to:

• outline our vision for a modern, patient-centred, and sustainable health service that uses the latest digital technology to enable the delivery of universal healthcare, improve the quality of care, promote health and wellbeing, enhance population health, expand capacity, increase efficiency and productivity, and reduce costs
• provide a guide for decision-making, and investment in digital health, to ensure Ireland is at the forefront of the global digital health revolution
• provide a clear step-by-step roadmap for accelerating the transition to a fully integrated national digital health ecosystem

Minister Donnelly said:

Highlights in the new Framework for 2024 and beyond include:

• the roll-out of a Patient App later this year
• scale the use of virtual care initiatives as a viable clinical intervention, enabled by technology, that is a safe and efficient alternative to inpatient care and to boost capacity
• complete procurement for the technology platform to deliver a National Shared Care Record. In parallel, prepare for design, configuration and plan for phased deployment to connect records and enable delivery of integrated care across the new Health Regions
• advance the development of a Health Information Bill scheduled for priority publication this legislative session
• widen the use of Robotic Process Automation (RPA) to the management of waiting lists and use mobile SMS reminders, informed by behavioural science, to reduce Did Not Attend (DNA) rates for outpatient hospital appointments. Consider use-cases for the safe use of artificial intelligence to support clinic decision making
• commence procurement of a solution for national electronic prescribing
• continue to invest in GP systems and key data sources
• leverage maximum value from Electronic Health Record systems deployed at existing hospitals and continue the deployment across the larger maternity hospitals and the New Childrens Hospital (NCH)
• in parallel, prepare for future investment in Electronic Health Record systems, to be deployed across the new regions, and address the procurement approach, deployment plans and hosting models for interoperability with existing systems
• progress deployment of the National Integrated Financial Management System (IFMS), the National Integrated Staff Records and Payroll (NISRP) system, the National Estates Information and Management System (NEIS), invest in hospital patient flow analytics solutions and longer-term demand and capacity modelling capability
• continue to build cyber resilience through the implementation of recommendations of the post incident report following the ransomware attack in 2021 including 24/7 enhanced cyber security operations

Minister Donnelly added:

Damien McCallion, Chief Operations Officer, HSE, said:

Digital for Care: A Digital Health Framework for Ireland 2024-2030

This new Framework was developed through extensive consultation with key stakeholders across the health and social care service including patients, healthcare professionals and staff, industry, and innovator groups. The approach has been shaped by the challenges and demands the health service faces, feedback from patients and our workforce, research of other healthcare systems, global trends, and emerging opportunities. This Framework also has taken on board experience from other countries, developments in the digital health industry, the expectations of patients and healthcare professionals, national and EU and international obligations.

The Framework defines a Vision and Mission for Digital Health in Ireland. These are supported by six principles that describe how we will deliver on this vision which will guide investment and provide clear direction in building up strong digital health infrastructure and capabilities.

The ICT environment supporting the provision of health and social care services to the public in Ireland is the largest of its kind in the State, providing 24/7 services to over 70,000 people across 2,000 interwoven systems and applications.

There are six principles to the Digital Health Framework.

Patient as an Empowered Partner: We will empower patients by giving them broader access to their own health information through a patient app, provide access to more digital health services, including virtual care offerings, whilst enabling greater autonomy and choice over their care options.

Workforce and Workplace: We will enable our workforce by providing them with the technology, systems, and skills they need to deliver the best possible care and services to patients in the modernised healthcare service.

Digitally Enabled and Connected Care: We will drive future investment and make architectural decisions based on the ability of systems to share clinical information and deliver connected care. We will make it possible for healthcare professionals, and others who support delivery of care, to be able to access the information they need about their patients when and where they need it, regardless of where those patients were treated previously.

Data Driven Services: We will leverage data analytics, business intelligence, visualisation, dashboards, and other digitally enabled management tools to provide greater insights into the health service and its operation. This will create opportunities for increased productivity, efficiency and more precise direction of resources to areas of greatest need, and where they will have the maximum impact.

Digital Health Ecosystem and Innovation: We will embed continuous improvement within the health and social care service. This will be enabled by innovation via improving ongoing collaboration, improved procurement pathways, increased participation, and promoting research excellence. This strategic principle also details key considerations for the digital health ecosystem as we prepare for the technologies of the future.

Digitally Secure Foundations and Digital Enablers: We will continue to build cyber resilience and put in place the key enablers needed to deliver this digital health strategic roadmap, underpinned by strong governance, culture and change, standards, interoperability, infrastructure, architecture, and legislation.

The Programme for Government and the Committee of Future of Healthcare - Sláintecare Report, states that to deliver universal healthcare digital health services are key enablers for reform, to deliver care more effectively, for empowering patients to access their own medical records, managing their own care, providing more services in the community, and accessing health services closer to home. The role of digital in delivering health services is also articulated in Government's “Harnessing Digital - The Digital Ireland Framework.”

In parallel to this Framework, the Health Service Executive (HSE) has developed a Digital Health Strategic Implementation Roadmap 2024 - 2030 which provides details on the various initiatives under each of the six principles, and the programmes, systems and services that need to be put in place in order to bring about the level of digital transformation required of the health service. The HSE’s roadmap will be published shortly.