EFA Digital Patients' Prize
Rewarding the asthma and COPD digital care innovators
We are all experiencing an ongoing digital revolution that presents itself with concrete opportunities to improve the lives of people across Europe. But what are the digital tools and solutions that serve patients improve their asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)?
A Prize from patients to reward patient-centred technology for respiratory disease
To take stock of ongoing developments, EFA is launching a prize to celebrate achievements in the digital health sector that centre asthma and COPD patients’ needs from development to implementation
EFA Patients' Digital Prize is a recognition granted by patients to reward those digital health initiatives that centre patients through their design, accessibility and efficacy. A prestigious jury will be looking at the pillars for a successful tool, and how the innovators introduce the approaches of co-creation and digital partnership between patients, healthcare providers and solution developers.
Apply now for EFA Patients’ Digital Prize
If you a developer whose digital technology breaks down barriers in equity, promises security, and looks beyond controlling asthma and COPD and towards improving Quality of Life – we want to hear from you!
Check the Terms of Reference and conditions, the submission form and the evaluation criteria and let us know about your technology for asthma and COPD.
- EFA Patients’ Digital Prize Terms of Reference for Applicants
- EFA Patients’ Digital Prize Terms of Reference for Jury Members
- EFA Patients’ Digital Prize Evaluation grid
- EFA Patients’ Digital Prize Submission form
A European recognition from patients
The finalists of the EFA Patients’ Digital Prize will be invited to the award ceremony late April 2023 in presence of EFA’s 45 patients organisations in 26 countries, to benefit from structured exchanges with the asthma and COPD patient community in Europe.
The winners will be recognised by patients at European level as forward thinkers, engaged in empowering people with asthma and COPD to improve health outcomes, and key digital health partners.
EFA will communicate about the winning solution across our communication channels and in a press release.
Selection process
The EFA Digital Patients’ Prize will acknowledge digital technologies that fit in one of three disease-focused categories:
- Prize for best digital technology covering asthma.
- Prize for best digital technology covering COPD.
- Prize for best digital technology covering both asthma & COPD.
To choose the winners of each category, a panel of eight individuals agreeing to the Terms of Reference for Jury Members will be selected by EFA Office by March 2023 that is composed of:
- 1 asthma patients’ representative from EFA Members.
- 1 COPD patients’ representative from EFA Members.
- 1 young asthma patient from the European Allergy & Asthma Youth Parliament.
- 1 healthcare professional from the respiratory sector.
- 1 digital health industry expert.
- 1 payer representative.
- 1 European/EU Digital Health Authority representative.
- 1 representative from the EFA Sustainable Corporate Partners (pharma) that supports the EFA DIG_IT project with unrestricted grants.
Prize timeline
- Call for submissions: 1 February 2023 – Monday 27, March 2023
- Selection of the Jury: March 27, 2023
- Evaluation period: March 28, 2023 – April 2, 2023
- Announcement of finalists: April 10, 2023
- Prize ceremony: 27-28 April 2023 in Ghent, Belgium
Acknowledgements
The EFA’s DIG_IT Prize is being made possible thanks to unrestricted grants from EFA’s Sustainable Corporate Partners Chiesi and Roche.
DIG_IT Patient Charter
The Charter for Digital Asthma and COPD Care is a call to action from patients to healthcare providers and the technology sector. Based off the findings from the EFA DIG_IT report, the charter strengthens the relationship between patients and care providers.
Coming soon!
DIG_IT country factsheets
The DIG_IT factsheets offer the key highlights from the survey from each country. Currently in English, you will soon be able to access them in the countries' official languages too!
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Download the Ireland factsheet | |
 |
|
DIG_IT Survey and report
Digital technologies are aimed at making healthcare more efficient, data-driven and patient-centred. Patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have indicated in EFA’s a willingness to embrace tools that empower them and improve outcomes DIG_IT survey. However uptake of innovative devices and services has been slower in healthcare than in other sectors.
The DIG_IT report: Asthma and COPD Patients’ Digital Journey in Europe
In addition to providing a deeper understanding of the benefits, barriers, and concerns around digital health, the project aims to develop insights into the patient digital journey in respiratory health.
By building on insights from the patient community, EFA will ensure that its positions reflect the current perspectives of the association’s members and patients it represents.
The DIG_IT survey findings have been translated into patient recommendations for policymakers, academia, and the technology sector.
The DIG_IT patient survey
The DIG_IT survey was conducted by the European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients’ Associations (EFA) in the summer of 2021. It set out to capture the views of asthma and COPD patients on Europe’s digital future. The initiative surveyed close to thousand patients in five countries to understand their needs, perceptions, and use of digital technologies throughout their patient journey.
The DIG_IT survey covered:
- 970 asthma and COPD patients surveyed
- 5 European countries (Belgium, the Czech Republic, Ireland, Norway, and Spain)
- 50 questions on access, diagnosis, treatment, care as well as their views on health data and digital empowerment
The participating countries were selected according to several criteria such as access to digital solutions, impact of COVID 19 on national healthcare systems, and with regards to a geographical representation of EFA’s European membership. In addition, EFA preferred to conduct the survey in countries where no much data on digitalisation in the respiratory area were available.
Acknowledgements
The EFA’s DIG_IT Project, survey and survey report have been funded with unrestricted grants from EFA’s Sustainable Corporate Partners Astra Zeneca, Chiesi, MSD, OM Pharma and Roche.
EFA thanks our Asthma and COPD Working Group of Members for their insights and vision throughout this project from their national perspectives.
EFA deeply thanks the 970 asthma and COPD patients who participated in the survey and the EFA Members for their advice and sustained support in this project.