From the stethoscope to the CT scanner, technology and healthcare have long gone hand in hand. But the difficulty, especially in an age when budgets are stretched and digital innovations are proliferating, is deciding which technologies will deliver the biggest public health benefits.

These need not be cutting-edge innovations. One important step is simply to replace existing analogue systems with digital ones, says David Maguire, senior analyst in the policy team at health think-tank the King’s Fund.

This year, Maguire co-authored a report that analysed the evidence on digital technology in health and social care. Among the most promising areas it identified was communications, both internally and when dealing with patients.