With the burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as type 2 diabetes (T2D) and hypertension increasing, the need for scalable approaches to prevention and long-term management has also grown. On 19 May, DigiCare4You hosted a webinar to explore how integrated digital solutions, such as DigiCare4You, can move beyond pilot implementation studies and become sustainably embedded within healthcare systems.
Joined by an audience of policymakers, researchers, healthcare professionals and digital health experts, consortium members presented the main findings from the project and held an interactive discussion with the participants. Eva Karaglani (Harokopio University Athens) presented an overview of the DigiCare4You project and preliminary findings from its implementation across Albania, Bulgaria, Greece and Spain. Early results are encouraging: participants showed reduced progression from prediabetes to T2D, improved glycaemic control and blood pressure, meaningful weight loss, and positive changes in diet, physical activity and sleep. Eva Karaglani emphasised that scalability depends not only on technology, but on feasibility, accessibility and contextual adaptation within existing community and healthcare structures.
Delfien Gryspeerdt (Ghent University) then explored the economic evaluation component of the project, presenting preliminary cost-effectiveness results. Comparing the DigiCare4You intervention against the absence of any structured intervention, the analysis suggests potential value for money across all four countries. Delfien highlighted that demonstrating economic value, not only clinical outcomes, is a critical step in moving digital health initiatives from pilot projects to policy-supported programmes, and that evaluating long-term sustainability and potential national budget impact is essential for making the case to policymakers.
The final presentation was delivered by Keng-Yen Huang (New York University), who introduced the Scalability Decision Support Tool, developed as part of the DigiCare4You project to help organisations and policymakers assess their readiness for digital health scale-up. By examining key factors such as infrastructure and technological readiness, workforce capacity, digital literacy, stakeholder engagement, and long-term integration into care pathways, the tool supports a structured, evidence-informed and context-sensitive approach to scaling.
The webinar concluded with an interactive discussion, offering participants the opportunity to reflect on the opportunities and challenges of scaling integrated digital health solutions internationally, including questions relating to equity, adoption and transferability across different healthcare contexts. The discussions highlighted that addressing the growing burden of NCDs will require digital health innovations that are not only effective but also economically viable, scalable and adaptable to diverse healthcare settings. Through its research and implementation activities, DigiCare4You is helping generate the evidence and practical tools needed to support the sustainable integration of digital solutions into routine NCD care.