To be considered for an evaluation with the CDHE, clients must fill out an onboarding form, which details the technology they wish to be evaluated, the proposed clinical model, the proposed business model, and key evaluation goals.
Once the onboarding form is received, the CDHE will conduct the triage stage. This is a rapid process that includes:
After the scope of the evaluation has been narrowed, the Needs Assessment phase begins. This includes:
Once the Work Plan has been agreed upon and all relevant parties have signed-off, the evaluation can begin. Depending on factors (including but not limited to the evaluation priorities, technology maturity, site readiness, and academic value), the evaluation may fall under one or a combination of the following:
This process is intended for early-stage companies who are looking to develop an effective business model or use case for application in Ontario’s health care system. We engage experts across four key domains - clinical, engineering/design, policy/regulatory and business development - to ensure that companies improve their value proposition framing to all relevant stakeholders.
Service Model Validation involves understanding how a digital solution fits into a clinical model, what its potential impacts are, and who will pay for it. This process consists of two primary steps:
If the goal of an evaluation is to quantify the impact of a tool on health outcomes, a large scale evaluation will be required. This can manifest as either a randomized controlled trial (RCT), a pragmatic trial, or post-market surveillance. The CDHE will leverage the academic institutions affiliated with it and their collective expertise in evaluation design for digital health tools to carry out these projects. RCTs will only be pursued if the solution is at a sufficient stage to warrant this investigation.
The timeline of the evaluation will range from 6 months to 2 years, based on the outcomes being measured and the methodologies being deployed.