Abstract
Health and care information technologies can improve service delivery, but unfortunately many fail to realise their potential. This is because tools fail to effectively integrate with user and organisational practices. We here draw on two decades and an extensive body of practical and theoretical experience of conducting formative evaluations in health service settings to extract seven essential principles for planning and developing digital tools. Firstly, it is important to determine if digitalisation is the right approach for the desired change and to view these tools as complex interventions needing careful planning. The development process should embrace varying levels of co-creation and adapt to different needs and contexts. Ensuring that tools integrate well with existing information infrastructures and striking a balance between being widely applicable and locally relevant is essential. Furthermore, planning for how these interventions will fit into broader health and care pathways is vital. By considering these factors, decision-makers can significantly improve the chances of successful implementation, adoption and scaling of health and care technologies.