The joint initiative on digital health explores the application of hardware and software information and communication technologies in the fields of genomics, drug research and development, neuroscience, oncology, aging and disability, and health preparedness. This cross-disciplinary initiative seeks to examine and find solutions to challenges related to the selection, evaluation, and implementation of digital health technologies. Topics may include:

• Challenges/questions that digital health may be uniquely suited to address;
• Strategies for evaluating and selecting mobile health apps that are fit-for-purpose (e.g. methods for determining quality and validation);
• Privacy, ethical, and security issues;
• Regulatory considerations;
• Approaches for encouraging practical clinical implementation;
• Cross-sector communication about patient preferences and clinical need.

The role of the digital health joint initiative is to convene multiple stakeholder groups and generate ideas for workshops that may speed the careful evaluation and adoption of appropriate technology into research and clinical care. The collaboration aims to convene experts from several fields to illuminate areas of synergy and inform each other about successes and challenges encountered in each sector.

Participating Joint Initiative Forums and Roundtables

• Forum on Aging, Disability, and Independence
• Forum on Drug Discovery, Development, and Translation
• Forum on Medical and Public Health Preparedness for Disasters and Emergencies
• Forum on Neuroscience and Nervous System Disorders
• National Cancer Policy Forum
• Roundtable on Genomics and Precision Health

Workshops

• Opportunities and Challenges for Using Digital Health Applications in Oncology: A Workshop (July 13-14, 2020)
• The Role of Digital Health Technologies in Drug Development: A Workshop (March 24, 2020)
• Applying Big Data to Address the Social Determinants of Health in Oncology: A Workshop (October 28-29, 2019)
• Neuroscience Data in the Cloud: A Workshop (September 24, 2019)
• Virtual Clinical Trials: Challenges and Opportunities - A Workshop (November 28-29, 2018)
• The Clinical Application of Computational Methods and Big Data in Precision Oncology - A Workshop (October 29-30, 2018)
• Artificial Intelligence Applications for Older Adults and People with Disabilities: Balancing Safety and Autonomy: A Workshop (October 24, 2018)
• Harnessing Mobile Technology to Predict, Diagnose, Monitor, and Develop Treatments for Nervous System Disorders: A Workshop (June 5-6, 2018)
• Improving Cancer Diagnosis and Care: Patient Access to Oncological Imaging and Pathology Expertise and Technologies: A Workshop (February 12-13, 2018)
• Building a National Capability to Monitor and Assess Medical Countermeasure Use in Response to Public Health Emergencies (June 6-7, 2017)
• Genomics-Enabled Learning Health Care Systems: Gathering and Using Genomic Information to Improve Patient Care and Research: A Workshop (December 8, 2014)
• Public Workshop on Fostering Independence and Healthy Aging through Technology (December 19, 2012)
• Improving the Efficiency and Effectiveness of Genomic Science Translation: A Workshop (December 3, 2012)
• Integrating Large-Scale Genomic Information into Clinical Practice: A Workshop (July 19, 2011)

Perspectives and Discussion Papers

• Accelerating Precision Health by Applying the Lessons Learned from Direct-to-Consumer Genomics to Digital Health Technologies (2018)

Other Resources

• Interactive resource from the workshop on The Role of Digital Health Technologies in Drug Development

Action Collaboratives

• Action Collaborative on Neuroscience Data in the Cloud