On 26-27 November, 2024, our partner from UCSC, Alessandra Pernice, attended the 5-year Anniversary Event for Data Saves Lives (DSL) in Brussels, Belgium. Data Saves Live initiative is run by the EDiHTA partners, European Patients Forum. This event celebrated DSL’s mission to empower and inspire the patient community and foster discussions on key health data literacy topics such as the European Health Data Space, AI, and HTA.

Alessandra presented a poster at the event on the EDiHTA project, which focused on the patient’s perspective in the evaluation process of Digital Health Technologies. The research findings highlighted the importance of involving patients in decision-making processes and stressed the need for a flexible and adaptable framework for technology assessment. This valuable analysis, combined with input from stakeholders, will guide the development of the EDiHTA framework to ensure that it meets the real needs of patients.

As Alessandra shared, the event was truly inspiring, with a high level of participation and great interest in emerging technologies. It also provided an excellent opportunity to network with industry experts, who showed keen interest in EDiHTA’s unique approach to technology assessment and its potential to support informed decision-making.

We would like to express our gratitude to the hosts of the DSL event for this unique opportunity to establish connections and explore potential collaborations for the future and the UCSC team and Alessandra for promoting the significance of EDiHTA and representing our work to a qualified audience with a strong interest in the patient’s perspective. This not only allowed us to share our progress but also received valuable feedback on the project.