Abstract

Background: Health technology (HealthTech) has potential to support earlier diagnosis, improved monitoring, and personalised management of chronic respiratory disease (CRD). However, it’s unclear how well existing and emerging technologies address the priorities identified by patients, carers, and healthcare professionals. We aimed to systematically map the respiratory HealthTech landscape against 73 stakeholder-defined unmet needs across the CRD care pathway identified through the ‘Health Technology for Chronic Respiratory Disease: Exploring and Mapping Unmet Needs’ (HERON) Priority Setting Partnership.
Methods: Targeted searches using terms from identified unmet needs were conducted across eight academic and innovation databases, supported by a specialist librarian. Technologies were screened using a structured assessment to evaluate existing evidence, technology maturity, and NHS implementation potential. Each technology was assessed using an adapted Technology Readiness Level framework and classified as early-stage, clinical research or market-ready/implemented. The 73 unmet needs were then categorised as met, partially met or unmet according to availability of relevant technologies, strength of supporting evidence, technology maturity, and potential for routine implementation within the NHS.
Results: Searches identified 5,715 potentially relevant publications or technologies. After title and abstract screening (3,328) and full text screening and technology detail extraction (1,371), 306 technologies were considered sufficiently relevant to the 73 unmet needs. 52 of the 73 unmet needs (71.2%) were classified as unmet, while the remaining 21 (28.8%) were classified as partially met; no need was considered fully met. Although innovation activity was evident in areas such as diagnostic support, digital monitoring, virtual care, and inhaler optimisation, many technologies remained at an early stage of development or lacked evidence of potential for widespread NHS implementation. The greatest innovation gaps related to integrated care pathways, continuity of care, psychological support, incorporating patient voice, community support, and technologies that address the broader social impacts of CRD.
Conclusions: Despite substantial innovation across the respiratory HealthTech landscape, no stakeholder-defined unmet need was considered fully addressed by available technologies in routine UK practice, or in later stages of development. This technology review highlights a substantial gap between technology development and real-world adoption, which provides an evidence-informed framework to guide future respiratory HealthTech funding and innovation