Procurement and Due Diligence

#Check claims against the intended use

Due diligence is the structured checking of information before making a commitment. In healthcare, it should begin with a defined need and intended use. Ask what the proposed product or service is meant to do, what it is not meant to do and what evidence supports its important claims.

Examine whether findings apply to the intended population, setting and workflow. Where regulatory requirements apply, verify the relevant status and scope rather than relying on broad statements. Regulatory status, certification or a successful demonstration does not by itself establish local suitability, clinical benefit or a complete assessment of risk.

#Examine security, integration and delivery

Ask how information is collected, accessed, stored, transferred and deleted. Clarify whether other organisations process it and whether proposed secondary uses are permitted. Security questions should address access controls, incident handling, vulnerability management, recovery and available assurance evidence. Do not treat a general claim of security as an answer to specific risks.

Check integration requirements, supported versions and responsibility for testing changes. Establish what training, accessibility support and technical assistance are included. Estimate the full operational cost, including staff time, interfaces, maintenance and transition. A low purchase price can conceal substantial work needed to make an approach usable and safe.

#Agree continuing responsibility and exit

Contracts and working arrangements should make responsibilities clear when something goes wrong. Identify who investigates incidents, communicates disruptions, approves updates and monitors performance. Ask how material changes will be disclosed and evaluated. Clarify ownership and permitted use of data and outputs without assuming that these rights follow automatically from purchase.

Plan for service interruption, supplier change and the end of the arrangement. Address data export, usable formats, deletion obligations and continuity of essential work. Record unresolved questions and involve the appropriate clinical, technical, procurement and legal roles. A commitment should not depend on assurances that cannot be checked or enforced.

#Common misunderstandings

Procurement approval is not the same as proof of clinical benefit. A product may meet technical requirements without showing that it improves care in the setting where it will be used. Equally, published research does not automatically establish that results will transfer to different patients, staffing levels or care pathways.

A demonstration can show how a product works under selected conditions, but it cannot establish how reliably it will perform during routine care. Usability also means more than an attractive interface: additional checking, documentation or follow-up may shift work onto clinical teams rather than reduce it.

Another misunderstanding is that a favourable average result means everyone benefits equally. Evidence may leave important gaps for particular patient groups, languages or accessibility needs. Finally, a pilot is not simply a smaller purchase. It needs clear learning goals and criteria for deciding whether to proceed, adapt the approach or stop.

#Questions worth asking a clinician

• What clinical evidence shows this product benefits patients like ours, and what are the main gaps or limitations?
• How would this product fit our clinical workflows, staffing, training needs and existing systems?
• What patient safety risks should we assess before purchase, and how would we monitor them during use?
• Who would be responsible for maintenance, updates, staff training and responding to safety concerns after purchase?
• How should we measure patient outcomes and total costs to decide whether to continue using this product?