WHO Releases Second Edition of Digital Health Intervention Classification

The World Health Organization (WHO) has published the second edition of the Classification of digital interventions, services, and applications in health. This taxonomy supports the health, development, research, and technology sectors to precisely document and describe the uses of digital technology to address needs and advance health goals. 

The publication updates the previous edition, published in 2018, under the title “Classification of digital health interventions v1.0”, and describes how digital health interventions embedded in digital services and applications can be used to address personal and health system challenges – the three axes around which the Classification is organized. The second edition includes new digital health interventions and a category on equity in the health systems challenges section, reflecting additions in the published literature. The “Systems Categories” section was similarly updated, to now include five services and applications groups aligned with the digital health architecture blueprint guidance. This section reflects the range of technology capabilities used in health, and the groupings are supported with descriptions. 

Key drivers for using digital tools for health are to address performance gaps in the health system and to increase access to quality, timely, actionable information for the health workforce and health-seeking individuals. With ongoing technology advances, there has been a corresponding rise globally in the development and use of digital technologies in health and for health, to support person-centred healthcare as well as to augment routine prevention, management, diagnostic interventions and health care coordination by the health workforce. The updated Classification aims to serve as a resource for: