Evaluation of connected health technology

With current advances in sensing technology, communication networks and software applications, the use of connected health technology within the home environment has become both more affordable and widespread. Nevertheless, the introduction of this new care paradigm has brought with it many challenges, with one of the most notable being assessing of the impact or otherwise of its usage. The assessment of efficiency, benefit and utility of such technology is recognised as still being in its infancy. Traditional evaluation protocols may fail to address the specific challenges associated with increased use of networks, databases and home deployments, in addition to the multitude of factors influencing successful adoption. This article aims to delineate the required steps of connected health technology evaluations and move towards a common framework that can be used to support future evaluations. A series of recommendations are presented based on previous experience in the domain.