Recommendation 14

Digital transformation can offer people more choice and control over their healthcare, and empower them to manage their health, and apps offer an accessible starting point for many. But whether peoples’ experiences with digital healthcare are positive depends in large part on whether they use an appropriate product. The Department and NHS England lack a systematic, consistent way of assessing and demonstrating whether a third-party health app reaches the necessary quality standards, and we heard that a majority of health apps currently available fail on aspects including clinical efficacy, security and cost. This is unacceptable: using an unsuitable health product can affect people’s health, and might make people less likely to opt for digital channels in future.