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Evaluating digital health products

Resources to help anyone developing or running a digital health product to conduct an evaluation.

Updates to this page

From:
Office for Health Improvement and Disparities
Published:
30 January 2020
Last updated:
19 October 2021
Show all updates

  1. Added 'Contextual inquiry' to methods library.

  2. Added 'Quasi-experimental study: comparative studies' and 'Think aloud study: qualitative studies' to Methods library.

  3. Added Micro-randomised trial to Methods library.

  4. Added Case-control study to Methods library.

  5. Added Budget impact analysis to Methods library.

  6. Added Multiphase optimization strategy (MOST) and Interrupted time series study to Methods library.

  7. Added Cost benefit analysis to Methods library.

  8. Added Patient-reported outcomes and experiences study to Methods library.

  9. Added Cost utility analysis and Cost effectiveness analysis to Methods library.

  10. Added Economic evaluation and Cost consequence analysis to Methods library.

  11. Added N-of-1 study and Ecological momentary assessment to Methods library.

  12. Added Behaviour change techniques review: descriptive studies document.

  13. Added 'Mixed methods study' document.

  14. Added Clinical audit: descriptive studies and Mixed methods study documents.

  15. Added guidance on conducting rapid evaluations of digital health products during the COVID-19 pandemic.

  16. First published.

It’s important to conduct evaluations for all digital health products.

Evaluation is useful whether you are developing your product or have already launched it.

These resources will help you to carry out evaluations. They are intended for anyone developing or running a digital health product. They can be applied to all types of digital health products (for example, a service, campaign or other intervention) and ways of providing products (for example, through an app or website).

If you are working on non-digital services, go to Evaluation in health and wellbeing for more general health evaluation advice.

1. Get started

2. Define how your product works

3. Design your evaluation

4. Choose evaluation methods

5. Carry out your evaluation

6. Analyse your data

7. Use your results

Methods library

Introductions to using specific evaluation methods. Each page explains when you might want to use a method, how to use it, and includes a real-world example of a digital health evaluation.

We have divided methods into 4 main categories: descriptive, comparative, qualitative and health economic. There are also some methods that straddle categories.

If you’re not sure what method to pick, start with our introduction to choosing a method:

Descriptive studies

Comparative studies

Qualitative studies

Health economic studies

Cross-category methods

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