OBJECTIVES: This study aims to enhance the understanding and application of reimbursement policies for digital health applications in Belgium and France by converting country specific eligibility criteria into decision trees. This transformation seeks to provide clear, visual decision-support tools to assist stakeholders in assessing eligibility.

METHODS: We extracted reimbursement criteria for digital applications in Belgium and France from the website of the National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (INAMI-RIZIV) in Belgium and the National Portal for eHealth Innovation (G_NIUS) in France. The criteria were systematically converted into decision trees, employing methodologies inspired by systems engineering and human-factors design to ensure usability and accuracy in real-world settings.

RESULTS: The resulting decision-support tools captures the process of determining eligibility for reimbursement in an intuitive visual format. In both France and Belgium, digital health solutions are reimbursable to some extent but the scope, the criteria, the application procedure, the clinical and economic evaluation, and timelines differ significantly.

CONCLUSIONS: The differences in scope and criteria between countries presents challenges for developers of digital health solutions. Visualizing eligibility criteria as decision trees provides a practical and efficient tool for stakeholders navigating the complexities of digital health application reimbursement.