ORCHA reconfigures its services to support developers from start to finish

Developers of digital health products can now have a partner to lead them through every step of the planning, accreditation, certification and distribution process for their innovation.

And thanks to a new ‘compliance vault’ system, their digital health product can now be continuously reviewed against the changing standards required by any country in the world.

ORCHA, the Organisation for the Review of Care and Health Apps, is the world’s leading digital health review and distribution organisation, operating in 12 countries and providing app libraries in 70 per cent of NHS regions in the UK.

It has now launched a comprehensive series of service options, ranging from one-off market insight reports through to a full-service option for health and care app developers which includes access to clinical specialists plus unlimited assessments of how their app performs against international standards such as the UK’s DTAC (Digital Technology Assessment Criteria) and ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation).

Liz Ashall-Payne, founding CEO of ORCHA, said:

“With more than 350 standards governing health app compliance in the UK alone, app development and assessment is an incredibly complex area. We want to make sure the incredible innovation in this sector has the chance to shine. All digital health products must have the relevant and appropriate assessment and be afforded the same level of diligence as we would expect to see for a medical device.”

“A significant challenge, as demonstrated by the new DTAC in the UK, is that regulatory compliance is always in flux. The moment you update your app, or the moment a new regulation is introduced or altered, your app needs to be re-tested.

“We can now offer a ‘compliance vault’, so that apps in our care can be under our governance, with automatic reviews triggered by any changes. This ongoing triage service is offered through one of our subscription options.”

Service options from ORCHA now include:

• National body review and certification – a one-off service which includes support with the certification process with DTAC, ISO and many other international health assessment schemes.

• Insights and horizon scanning reports, suitable for those planning to develop a digital health or care solution, and for more mature innovators looking to extend market reach.

• Three subscription levels, which all include a compliance vault for the app. Option 1 offers compliance assessments and regular re-review, option 2 adds competitor benchmarking and access to clinical specialists and option 3 adds unlimited international assessment.

For further information about ORCHA’s services, contact katie.gillet@orcha.co.uk