Sponsored by Digital Health Networks.
Digital clinical safety is becoming increasingly embedded into organisations. Compliance with Data Coordination Board standards DCB0129 and DCB0160 is mandated under the Health and Social Care Act 2012. However, a number of challenges are limiting the potential impact of the process.
A Digital Health Networks CSO Council survey of clinical safety officers, conducted in 2024, highlighted key areas of concern, including a lack of understanding of the clinical safety process and importance of the CSO role, insufficient capacity for digital clinical risk management and lack of senior leadership buy-in. Organisational barriers are exacerbated by a lack of funding and pressures to complete tasks rapidly. This can result in a ‘tick-box’ approach to compliance, where the focus is on meeting deadlines rather than ensuring that the standards are fully understood and properly integrated into practice. Despite the critical importance of standards, they are frequently perceived as technical and disconnected from the priorities of clinical care.
This CSO Council white paper presents the findings of the survey and provides actionable insights to address respondents’ concerns, foster a culture of compliance with standards, and improve digital clinical safety.
