Green Digital Health Tool

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How to use this site

This tool shows you the questions that will need to be answered to implement and maintain a sustainable Digital Health System. You probably won't be able to answer all the questions by yourself, so identify the people that have the knowledge and skills on the different areas covered by this tool and ask them the questions. They might be people in other departments or even some of the suppliers used by your organisation.

Beside the questions you will sometimes see an icon. Clicking on them will provide extra information. Below is a brief explanation of what each icon means:

Why should you ask this questionWhy should you ask this question?


Extra information and resourcesRead more about this subject


ideas that you could trySuggest actions to be taken next

Procuring Devices

Extra information and resources There are many guides on how to ensure sustainability in digital infrastructure. Here is one that may be useful, although bear in mind that these guides are generated by vendors of software or services associated with their guides. As an alternative the Compass tool, which is designed primarily for technicians in the data centre industry, gives guidance on choosing options for procurement, refurbishment and disposal of servers that are best aligned with the circular economy.
Why should you ask this question Using existing devices minimizes e-waste. Try and procure repurposed devices and where possible, use existing devices.

However, if a user’s own device, typically their phone, is, for example, used to perform monitoring tasks that form part of a digital health system, then the user may have to pay for this themselves. This is because it may be difficult to separate out the element of their ongoing phone costs that are attributable to the digital health system. Having users cover the costs themselves raises equity issues.

Furthermore, existing devices may not support security regulations: regulations around the security of connected devices and networks are increasing. All components of your digital health system will need to comply with the regulations in place in your area.

ideas that you could try If you are procuring your digital health system as an ongoing managed service, or if your service provider is responsible for maintaining your devices, put this question, and the following questions on this page, to your service provider.

Why should you ask this question This is a crucial enabler for maximising the useful lifetime of the devices.