Implementation of Digital Health and Telemedicine Solutions

The BDIH – KTBW supports several projects in implementing digitalization concepts and telemedicine approaches in real-world healthcare and care delivery. On the one hand, it supports existing publicly funded projects in Baden-Württemberg with expertise and networks to help ensure that innovative approaches are successfully integrated into routine care beyond the end of the funding period. On the other hand, it is actively involved in the practical implementation of specific pilot projects that have emerged from previous publicly funded initiatives. 

The BDIH – KTBW supports several projects in implementing digitalization concepts and telemedicine approaches in real-world healthcare and care delivery. On the one hand, it supports existing publicly funded projects in Baden-Württemberg with expertise and networks to help ensure that innovative approaches are successfully integrated into routine care beyond the end of the funding period. On the other hand, it is actively involved in the practical implementation of specific pilot projects that have emerged from previous publicly funded initiatives. 

Structured Transfer of Innovative Digitalization Concepts and Telemedicine Approaches into Practice – Implementation Board Baden-Württemberg

IN BRIEF

About the Project

Brief description: The Implementation Board Baden-Württemberg is intended to serve as an implementation instrument to enable publicly funded, innovative healthcare projects from Baden-Württemberg to achieve sustainable continuation through targeted and individualized support in key aspects of implementation, such as stakeholder involvement, innovation, needs assessment, and cost-benefit evaluation. The projects are offered support and coaching in order to address their questions, problems, and needs individually and quickly. With this project, the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Social Affairs aims to provide its own funded projects and innovative concepts in the state with more support and guidance in order to improve an identified barrier to their subsequent application in real-world healthcare. In the long term, regional structures can emerge that strengthen the translation and implementation of innovations in healthcare. 

Objectives/Outcomes: Support for the sustainable continuation of publicly funded, innovative healthcare projects in Baden-Württemberg. 

Project partner: DG-BW (Digitale Gesundheit Baden-Württemberg e.V.

With this project, the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Social Affairs aims to provide its own funded projects and innovative healthcare concepts in the state with more support and guidance in order to improve an identified barrier to their subsequent application in real-world healthcare: many achievements from publicly funded projects disappear “back into the drawer” once funding ends. The main reason for this is that sustainability and long-term continuation are addressed — or considered — too late. In order to successfully implement healthcare innovations into routine care, relevant stakeholders from the ecosystem need to be involved at an early stage. 

However, there are many barriers that mean that only a small number of innovations reach citizens and are implemented in the market. In most cases, the translational value chain breaks down too early. The value chain leading to implementation in the healthcare sector is complex and requires various actors and stakeholders, and is subject to constantly changing framework conditions. Numerous innovative pilot projects attempt to take this into account, but accompanying evaluations, such as cost-benefit assessments, are too rarely considered in order to ensure a structured transfer into the real-world healthcare context. Early involvement of relevant stakeholders is crucial for successful implementation. 

Digital innovations in particular require instruments that act as catalysts. The aim of such catalysts is to improve the efficiency of the value chain in the healthcare sector: to advance new processes, models of care, and solutions through the intelligent use of digitalization and AI in healthcare, and to transfer them into practical application and real-world healthcare settings. The goal must be for a higher proportion of funded pilot and model projects to achieve sustainable continuation by the end of their funding period. 

The Implementation Board Baden-Württemberg is intended to serve as an implementation instrument to enable publicly funded, innovative healthcare projects from Baden-Württemberg to achieve sustainable continuation through targeted and individualized support in key aspects of implementation, such as stakeholder involvement, innovation, needs assessment, and cost-benefit evaluation. The projects are offered support and coaching in order to address their questions, problems, and needs individually and quickly. 

Important project partners include DG-BW (Digitale Gesundheit Baden-Württemberg e.V.) as well as network partners from the fields of health insurance funds and other payers, healthcare delivery, and the healthcare industry. As part of the Implementation Board Baden-Württemberg, the DG-BW association creates transparency and comparability across initiatives in digital health by establishing a dedicated compliance function