Target product profiles and priority digital health products for TB
One of the main objectives of the meeting was to develop target product profiles (TPP) for priority information & communication technology (ICT) products within each of the four functions of the eHealth framework for TB.
A TPP is a key strategic document that specifies the features of the intended ICT product. This helps to shape its development, aligning the needs of end-users with the direction taken by the developers to satisfy the demand. Developers require TPPs early on within the development process.
As a minimum, the TPPs should indicate the purpose of what the functionality or system will serve, the goal/s to be met, who are the target end-users and the beneficiaries of the product, and what is the expected impact (see Table 1 below). The product should also achieve all the “minimal” and most of the “optimal” criteria which are set for each TPP. A TPP should be considered a “living document” which evolves as the project matures. It requires input from multiple stakeholders.
Brochure
Table 1. TPPs defined
| Product features | Description |
|---|---|
| Goals, scope and description | A brief description of the product |
| Target end-users | Who is the immediate, intended end-user? |
| Value to the target end-user & other beneficiaries | What is the specific value of this product? Does it offer advantages over similar products which exist or are coming up? |
| Strategic fit and value | Is this a new concept or does it build upon an existing product? How well does this product fit with the competence and the track record of the developer/s? |
| Rationale for prioritization | Three main reasons why the group believes that this product should be prioritized in the current landscape |
| Optimal requirements* | The final product should achieve most of these criteria |
| Minimal requirements* | The final product should achieve all of these criteria |
| Factors for success | What factors relating to the setting and to the potential developer/s would be needed for this project to succeed? |
| Key risk factors (threats) for its development | Brief statement identifying possible risks |
* these could include among others price, portability, adaptability (open source, translation, platform-specificity, interoperability), ease for updating & servicing, training requirements
During the consultation in February 2015 the members of each workstream started to describe the product features which will eventually be required in the TPP. By the end of group work session there were reasonably advanced drafts of the TPPs and these will be further elaborated during the course of 2015. By April 2015, these TPPs were consolidated into a set of 9 TPPs (Table 2).
Table 2. Summary of TPPs (as in early May 2015)
| Function | TPP: short description |
|---|---|
| Patient care | 1. Video observed treatment (VOT) via mobiles |
| 2. eHealth portal for TB patients | |
| Surveillance & monitoring | 3. Graphic dashboards for TB |
| 4. eNotify TB | |
| 5. ePV for TB | |
| Laboratory information systems | 6. TB diagnostic device connectivity |
| eLearning | 7. Patient information platform on TB and smoking cessation |
| 8. Web-based training for health care professionals on TB and smoking cessation | |
| 9. Clinical decision support systems for TB and tobacco care |