Powered by the Laurel project

EHTEL is encouraging its members, and the digital health community, to learn from the Digital Maturity Model Tool (DMAT), developed by the Laurel project. The tool is a useful mechanism for incorporating societal impact and digital maturity into planning, service delivery, and innovation processes whenever work is taking place on integrated long-term care (I-LTC).

How EHTEL members, and the digital health community, can benefit from Laurel’s Digital Maturity Assessment Toolkit

Digital health innovation is not a goal in itself – it is a means to an end, a process to increase real societal benefit. As such, digital health tools are becoming increasingly vital for European health systems, especially in the field of I-LTC. In line with EHTEL’s commitment to people-centred, digitally enabled care models, the Laurel project has developed a robust methodology to assess the societal impact of digital solutions in long-term care.

With its Digital Maturity Assessment Toolkit (DMAT), Laurel provides a framework for evaluating the readiness and relevance of digital innovations - not only in terms of technology and governance, but also in how they improve people’s lives, support carers, and strengthen communities.

DMAT’s value-added is that it is a comprehensive, multi-dimensional analysis that helps long-term care (LTC) organizations and initiatives to identify strengths, gaps, and areas for improvement on their digital transformation journey.

What is societal impact in I-LTC?

Societal impact refers to the effects of research and innovation beyond academia, encompassing changes in public policy, health systems, social structures, and overall well-being. In the context of I-LTC, assessing societal impact helps ensure that technological innovations:

• Improve the quality of care and life for people in need of long-term support
• Empower informal carers and families
• Strengthen community cohesion
• Contribute to the financial sustainability of care systems

Laurel adopts a practical, participatory approach to societal impact analysis, inviting input from different types of stakeholders, such as patients, informal carers, healthcare professionals, policymakers, and technology providers. The assessment focuses on real-world outcomes such as satisfaction, inclusion, cost-effectiveness, and improvements in quality of life.

The Digital Maturity Assessment Toolkit

The Digital Maturity Assessment Toolkit for I-LTC Services is a structured framework designed to evaluate, guide, and enhance the adoption of digital solutions within long-term care (LTC) settings. Recognizing the increasing role of technology in improving the quality, efficiency, and accessibility of long-term care, this toolkit provides a systematic approach to assessing the digital readiness and maturity of both organizations and specific Integrated Long-Term Care (I-LTC) initiatives.

The toolkit comprises two complementary tools:

• Tool 1: Digital Maturity Questionnaire for Organizations engaged in an I-LTC Initiative

This tool assesses the digital maturity of the organization, focusing on governance, IT capabilities, workforce digital skills, interoperability, strategic planning, data analytics, patient-centred care, cybersecurity, and ethical considerations. It is intended to be completed by directors or senior management representatives of the organization.

• Tool 2: Digital Maturity Questionnaire for I-LTC Initiatives

This tool evaluates the digital maturity of a specific I-LTC initiative or practice within the organization. It examines system readiness, service readiness, technology maturity, and the effectiveness of digital solutions in long-term care services. It also examines the societal impact of the improved services that have been enabled by the implementation of digital solutions and addresses the ethical issues that need to be taken into consideration. The assessment is conducted by the I-LTC initiative’s responsible leader or an equivalent representative.

Laurel’s DMAT is set to integrate both tools, thus providing implementers, such as healthcare service providers, with a comprehensive, multi-dimensional analysis that helps LTC organizations and initiatives identify strengths, gaps, and areas for improvement on their digital transformation journey. The assessment results can serve as a status quo reference and starting point for strategic planning, resource allocation, policy development, adoption of new technology solutions and targeted interventions to enhance digital integration in long-term care services.

The output of the assessment can also be relevant for policymakers and funders interested in understanding the digital readiness of I-LTC services; and for technology developers aiming to align their solutions with the needs and maturity levels of LTC organizations.

The DMAT includes a range of readiness and impact indicators:

• Technical relevance
• Service integration
• Sustainability aspects
• Societal value
• Ethical compliance

Application of societal impact in the DMAT of Laurel

In the context of Integrated Long-Term Care (I-LTC), the societal impact scale evaluates how effectively a digital solution addresses the needs of beneficiaries, their families, and the wider community.

Societal impact may include outcomes such as increased satisfaction, improved social participation, stronger communities, cost reductions, and enhanced engagement in local activities. Although primarily intended for service-level evaluation, this scale can also support policy-level assessments of system-wide impacts.

The level determination is based on the descriptions below:

Source: Laurel project – deliverable D3.2 First report on LTC technologies

Why all this matters to EHTEL members

For EHTEL members, Laurel’s digital maturity assessment tools offer practical and strategic value:

• For policymakers: Evidence-based insights on digital maturity and systemic impacts across care levels.
• For implementers: Self-assessment tools to improve healthcare service design, efficiency, and patient satisfaction.
• For innovators: A benchmark to align technology design with user needs and long-term care ecosystems.
• For funders and stakeholders: A robust framework to evaluate value creation beyond technical deployment.

Next steps and what EHTEL members, and the digital health community, can do

Laurel is already supporting I-LTC stakeholders across Europe who apply these tools and insights.

EHTEL encourages its members to incorporate the societal impact scale and the DMAT into their planning, service delivery, and innovation processes.

• Get involved! Let us know how Laurel’s tools could support your local, regional, or national efforts in strengthening integrated long-term care. Contact: EHTEL Laurel Team Leader, Sara Canella.
  
• Visit the Laurel project website and join the Laurel Community for upcoming workshops, webinars, and knowledge opportunities.

Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or HaDEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.