NHS Digital enlists Orcha to help populate App Library
NHS Digital has enlisted the help of a third-party app evaluator to speed up the number of clinically-approved tools available on the NHS Apps Library.
Orcha uses a combination of manual and automated assessment processes to scour mobile app marketplaces for applications that can be safely used within clinical settings.
The company conducts a ‘data scrape’ of app stores, such as those belonging for Google and Apple, and then feeds the information through an algorithm that separates legitimate applications from defunct or otherwise unsafe ones.
Legitimate apps can then be collated and reviewed by human assessors to ensure they are secure and fit for clinical use.
The NHS Apps Library currently includes 70 health apps spanning online services, lifestyle advice and support for a number of health conditions.
Orcha aims to help bring more verified service onto the market at a quicker pace.
To do this, apps will be assessed against the Digital Assessment Questions (DAQ) process. Developed by NHS Digital, the methodology evaluates apps against a set of criteria including effectiveness, regulatory approval, safety, privacy, security, usability, interoperability, technical stability and change management.
Speaking to Digital Health news, Liz Ashall-Payne, CEO or Orcha, said: “There are three main challenges with mhealth apps and the use and uptake. Those are awareness, access and the ultimate barrier being trust.
“Orcha’s mission is to activate people, patients and professionals to be able to search for, find and use the best health apps in their work and lives, as trust is the biggest barrier – reviewing and knowing which are the best is critical.”
Orcha is part of the NHS Accelerator Programme and already works with 20 CCGs and NHS trusts in England.
Its enlistment by NHS Digital comes after the health body said in February that it would partner with third party assessors to increase the variety apps featured on its apps library.
Hazel Jones, Programme Director at NHS Digital, said Orcha would “provide a route for regional health and social care providers to find trusted digital tools for their patients and citizens.”
The NHS Apps Library is due to go live nationwide at the tail-end of 2018, with a target of having 100 available in time for its launch.
The primary focus will be to offer apps to patients that support them in the management of common health conditions.
The NHS hopes to have its own app ready for download by December 2018.
4 Comments
The trust issue is exactly why we are joining an NHS Assessment with external assessors to provide more choice for those commissioning apps to choose those that have demonstrated their ability to meet that NHS assessment criteria. By creating a publicly available list of trusted apps – the public and commissioners within Healthcare have a place to go for trusted apps. For commissioners it’s more efficient to choose those that can achieve the standards, and either already meet their need, or are most of the way there and only require changes. Standardising the assessment means that we should see greater consistency and raise the standards overall.
We are already seeing app developers better able to demonstrate to commissioners that they are ideal candidates for commissioning (Bexley app, Health Help Now, Neonatal etc.)
There is still more to come – the programme is not just about adding apps, it’s about the full eco system, including commissioning.
I take your point about App Store optimisation and Marketing. However, there will be (and are already) all sorts of bus models, B2B, B2C & B2B2C in the current https://apps.beta.nhs.uk/ Apps Library. Not just public apps.
The insurmountable issues you refer to is one of the issues the programme is seeking to address, via National Standards, Assessment and eventual Publishing of those that can be trusted.
I hope there is going to be a public assessment published on the effectiveness of the entire programme so we can see how tax payer money has been used for this and how it has enabled a proper market for start-ups.
I think the trust issue is not patient-facing, that’s a red herring. For app start-ups in this industry it’s about trust from purchasing organisations to buy your service: if you’re not an organisation I trust, then I’m not buying from you. If you’re an organisation I trust, I’ll buy more from you because you’ve done me a solid before. I find the whole apps library concept is flawed and looks to be an “appears to be doing something about apps” project. There is little incentive to go through this assessment for apps that target patients directly, because they can perform well by simply getting app store optimisation and marketing right. Insurmountable challenges only exist when an NHS entity needs to buy your solution and you’re trying to break into the industry.
Hi Insider,
I noticed your comments, I have proposed something that may be of interest to you regarding what is currently going on with the NHS App Library.
http://academia.matthewbennion.co.uk/2018/09/27/my-proposed-direction-for-the-nhs-health-apps-library/
Best wishes,
Matt
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