Seeking Examples re WHO Global Strategy on Digital Health

[Chris Johnston]

The HealthAI Community of Practice, of which PAN is a member, recently published the following article:
Participation is The Medicine For AI Healthcare

On page 4, the article lists 10 recommendations for the World Health Organization to include in its next Global Strategy on Digital Health - as listed below.

We are currently seeking any examples that demonstrate where any of these recommendations have been put into practice. If you know of any examples, please post them below - with a link to where any additional information can be found. Or feel free to reach out to me directly.

• Shift the discourse where diverse stakeholder participation is treated as a driver of innovation in AI healthcare rather than only a regulatory burden.

• Harmonised and enforceable regulations on AI in healthcare that specify minimal standards for participation.

• Facilitate communities of engagement between key stakeholders (e.g. developers, governments, clinicians, patient associations) early enough to influence design - not only at the procurement stage.

• Mechanisms for assessing impact, monitoring effects, and raising concerns over AI usage in healthcare should be accessible to local and diverse communities prior to large scale deployment of AI models.

• Feedback processes whereby documented harms lead to redesign of AI healthcare technologies.

• Regulatory sandboxes on AI healthcare must invite patient associations and other key civil society stakeholders to evaluate potential risks and identify solutions.

• Predictable procurement frameworks that reward responsible and participatory design rather than lowest cost.

• Governments must support patient associations and related civil associations in monitoring the effects of AI healthcare on patients.

• Education for developers and healthcare professionals must include Social Science teaching that places AI in its societal context.

• Public disclosure of training data limitations of AI tools used in health and healthcare.

[Jenna Kedy 0]

This is such an important initiative, and I'd love to contribute a few examples from my own experience as both a long-time patient and a patient partner. I've spent more than half my life navigating the healthcare system after being diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis at 11. Since then, I've experienced everything from pediatric and adult care to emergency medicine, rehabilitation, mental health services, and digital health. Those experiences eventually led me into patient partnership, where I've had the opportunity to work alongside clinicians, researchers, policymakers, and technology developers on improving healthcare. One recommendation that immediately stood out to me is "Facilitate communities of engagement between key stakeholders early enough to influence design and not only at the procurement stage." I've been fortunate to see this put into practice through initiatives like the UHN Digital Compassion Lab, where patients are involved from the beginning of digital health and AI projects and not simply invited to react once a product is nearly finished. That shift changes the conversation. Patients move from being testers to being co-designers. I've also recently joined the CMA Digital Health Interoperability Task Force, which brings together clinicians, digital health leaders, and patient partners to help shape the future of connected healthcare systems. While the work is just beginning, it's another example of patients being included at the strategy table rather than only after decisions have already been made. Another recommendation that resonates with me is treating diverse stakeholder participation as a driver of innovation rather than a regulatory burden. Throughout my work, I've found that patients ask questions others simply can't. We don't just ask whether an AI tool works as we ask whether people will trust it, understand it, have access to it, and know what to do if it gets something wrong. Those perspectives don't slow innovation down; they make innovation better. I'd also point to Health Standards Organization (HSO) as an example of embedding patients into standards development alongside clinicians, researchers, and policymakers. While not AI-specific, it's a strong model for meaningful participation in shaping the systems that ultimately guide healthcare practice. Finally, I'd love to see more examples of recommendations five and seven becoming standard practice: Feedback processes where documented patient harms actually lead to redesign of AI tools. Procurement frameworks that recognize and reward organizations that meaningfully involve patients throughout design and implementation and not just those offering the lowest-cost solution. These are areas where I think we still have significant room to grow. I'm excited to see the examples others share. There is already fantastic work happening around the world, and compiling these examples could become a really valuable resource for informing the next WHO Global Strategy on Digital Health.

[Chris Johnston]

@Jenna-Kedy-0

These are excellent examples Jenna, I’ll submit them for inclusion