II.C.2. Preliminary evidence collection to support the value case

Estimated Execution Time

1 week

Objective

To identify, compile, and summarise available evidence that supports the plausibility of the expected clinical and/or operational benefits and associated costs, ensuring that the underlying assumptions and indicative figures are credible and internally consistent.

This step focuses on a targeted evidence scan, drawing on benchmarks and examples from other countries/regions, clinical guidelines, and peer-reviewed or grey literature to inform indicative ranges (e.g., outcomes, resource use, uptake, and costs). Its purpose is to provide an evidence-informed basis to refine the value proposition and metrics in later stages, without developing a full business case at this point.

Who is Involved

Champion – brings the initial hypothesis on expected benefits and feasibility and provides early references to comparable initiatives or plausible impact ranges based on experience.
Clinical experts – contribute clinical insight and practical benchmarks, including examples known through professional networks, peers, and interactions with industry, to guide targeted evidence collection.
Project Department / Innovation Unit – coordinates the evidence collection activity (in parallel with the SOTA analysis), consolidates inputs, and ensures coherence with the project objectives and subsequent procurement steps.

Activities / Tasks

II.C.2.1. Define the scope of the evidence scan

Agree the key points to support (need context, expected direction of benefit, likely implementation setting, and plausible outcome domains), without requiring full baseline or cost data.
Identify the main evidence streams to consult: examples from other countries/regions, clinical guidelines, and relevant publications; include inputs suggested by the champion and clinical experts.
Specify whether analogous conditions with a similar problem profile can be used as supporting evidence (e.g., comparable pathways, workload, safety risks, or organisational constraints), and set a lightweight capture template (source, setting, what was done, reported/claimed outcomes, key caveats).

II.C.2.1. Gather and synthesise indicative evidence

Collect short descriptions of comparable initiatives and lessons learned (what worked, adoption enablers/barriers, reported impact areas), even when only qualitative evidence is available.

Tips / Common Pitfalls

✅ Address the value of the innovation from a broad perspective, covering not only clinical outcomes but also operational improvements, equity, efficiency, resilience, patient/clinician experience (where relevant), etc.

✅ Where direct evidence is limited, use evidence from other pathologies or comparable problems that are better documented, clearly stating the similarities, transferability assumptions, and limitations.

❌ Avoid trying to obtain robust baseline data too early. In many settings these data are not readily available (unless existing models or datasets already capture them), and attempting to collect them at this stage may not be feasible.

Outcome / Deliverables

Preliminary Evidence Note compiling referenced evidence (including comparable settings and analogous pathologies where relevant), a reusable shortlist of key sources/examples, and indicative impact domains with potential high-level (non-baselined) KPIs to inform later steps (e.g., SOTA, market consultation, feasibility assessment).

Resources

Need expert support for this step?

Browse Experts

Browse our directory of experts who can provide professional guidance.

Build a Strong Proposal