EDiHTA publishes new scientific paper on a harmonised definition of DHTs

EDiHTA publishes new scientific paper on a harmonised definition of Digital Health Technologies

September 17, 2026

We are pleased to share a new peer-reviewed paper from the EDiHTA project, published in Value in Health: “Toward a Harmonized Definition of Digital Health Technologies for Use in Health Technology Assessment: A Scoping Review and Modified Delphi Consensus Study.”

Authored by Annapoorna Prakash, Marcia Tummers, Joan Segur-Ferrer, Rosa Maria Vivano Hidalgo, Rossella Di Bidino, Emmanouil Tsiasiotis, Dario Sacchini, Americo Cicchetti and Wija J. Oortwijn, the paper addresses the lack of consistent terminology surrounding digital health technologies and related concepts such as eHealth, mHealth, telehealth, telemedicine and artificial intelligence.

The study combined a scoping review with a two-round modified Delphi process to map existing definitions and develop a harmonised definition of digital health technologies for use in health technology assessment. The review identified 482 relevant articles and 328 definitions, while the Delphi process brought together expert perspectives to reach consensus on the key components of the definition.

Three core components emerged consistently across the reviewed definitions: purpose, users and underlying technology. The resulting definition also recognises the growing role of artificial intelligence within digital health and provides a clearer conceptual basis for distinguishing between related digital health terms.

The findings provide an important foundation for EDiHTA’s work to develop a harmonised European HTA framework for digital health technologies, supporting greater consistency in evidence generation and assessment and helping to reduce uncertainty for decision-makers across Europe.

Read the paper: Value in Health | DOI: 10.1016/j.jval.2026.03.009

Abstract

Objectives

The objectives of this study are to map definitions of digital health, eHealth, mHealth, telehealth, telemedicine, and artificial intelligence to further expand an existing conceptual map to distinguish between these terms and propose a harmonized definition for “digital health technologies.”

Methods

A scoping review was conducted to identify definitions of digital health, eHealth, mHealth, telehealth, telemedicine, and artificial intelligence. PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, and EconLit were searched between January 2015 and May 2024. A 2-round modified Delphi, informed by the scoping review, was undertaken to develop a harmonized definition of digital health technologies (DHTs). Numerical summary analyses were performed for identified definitions and Delphi responses, and thematic and content analyses were applied to the definitions and free-text responses.

Results

The search yielded 11,041 records, of which 482 articles were included after screening and snowballing. A total of 328 definitions were identified for digital health, eHealth, mHealth, telehealth, telemedicine, and artificial intelligence. Higher number of definitions were identified for the term telehealth/telemedicine. Across the definitions, 3 key components consistently emerged: purpose, users, and underlying technology. Round 1 of the Delphi received 118 complete responses, and round 2 received 54. Consensus was achieved on the key components, their subcomponents, and the final definition of DHTs.

Conclusion

This study proposes a unified definition of DHTs, grounded in the components of purpose, users, and technology. Recognition of AI within the definition reflects its growing role in digital health. This definition provides a foundation for developing classification criteria that support consistent health technology assessment of DHTs.