The DIGIPATHS project successfully conducted its second Stakeholder Consultation Group (SCG) meeting on 14 December 2025 at Hotel Mirage, Colombo, with the multidisciplinary stakeholders representing health services, academia, community organizations, IT, and policy sectors from across Sri Lanka. The session aimed to strengthen collaborative decision-making and transparency, while gathering valuable stakeholder inputs to guide the ongoing development of the Electronic Health Record (EHR) and the proposed Decision Support System (DSS) for multimorbidity management in primary care. The insights gathered will play a critical role in strengthening system design, improving implementation strategies, and ensuring long-term sustainability of digital health innovations within primary care settings.

On 24^th January 2026, from 7.30 p.m. to 9.30 p.m., an educational and consensus-building session on Managing Multiple Long-Term Comorbidities in Primary Health Care was held at the Faculty Board Room, Faculty of Medicine, University of Jaffna. The session was organized by the DIGIPATHS Study in collaboration with the Jaffna Medical Association (JMA) and was led by Prof. S. Kumaran, Head of the Department of Community and Family Medicine, University of Jaffna, and Dr. Supun Withana, Senior Lecturer, Department of Family Medicine, University of Kelaniya. A total of 32 primary care doctors participated in the session.

The session was conducted using the Nominal Group Technique (NGT) to systematically gather input from primary care clinicians on priorities and feasibility of implementing evidence-based recommendations for managing chronic conditions in primary care. An advanced interactive online platform, Quizizz, was used to facilitate real-time participation. Questions were presented one by one, and participants submitted their responses using smartphones or laptops, with aggregated results displayed instantly on the screen. This interactive approach encouraged active engagement, transparent sharing of opinions, and dynamic group discussions. The session was introduced by Dr. Supun Withana, with Prof. S. Kumaran facilitating discussions and reflections throughout the process.

The NGT session focused on three major chronic disease domains: hypertension, chronic coronary disease, and chronic kidney disease. Participants assessed the priority and feasibility of recommendations related to screening, diagnosis, risk assessment, investigations, lifestyle modification, prescribing practices, follow-up strategies, complication assessment, and referral to secondary care. Open-ended comment sections allowed clinicians to share contextual challenges, resource limitations, and practical implementation considerations within their clinical settings. With active participation from primary care doctors, the first two thematic sections were completed successfully, generating valuable quantitative and qualitative insights for the DIGIPATHS care pathway development.

The session was supported by the DIGIPATHS teams from the University of Jaffna and the University of Kelaniya. Ms. Shyni Sandunika, Research Fellow, coordinated the online platform setup and facilitated the interactive polling process, while other team members provided technical assistance to participants. Laptops were provided for participants without smartphones, and university Wi-Fi access was ensured throughout the session to enable smooth participation and real-time response submission.

Overall, the session fostered rich discussions, knowledge sharing, and collaboration among primary care clinicians and academic experts. The insights generated through this NGT exercise will contribute to the development of integrated, patient-centered digital care pathways under the DIGIPATHS Project and strengthen capacity for managing multimorbidity in primary health care in Sri Lanka.

The Community Engagement and Involvement (CEI) meeting for the Western Province was held on 15 February 2026 at Mandarina, Colombo, with 35 participants. The primary objective of the meeting was to ensure that the design of the DIGIPATHS digital healthcare support system is informed by the experiences, needs, and perspectives of the public who will ultimately use it. Participants included community representatives, community connectors, hospital staff members, caregivers, family members, and patients from Gampaha, Kalutara, and Colombo districts.

The meeting commenced with a warm welcome and introduction by Dr. Supun Withana, who provided an overview of the DIGIPATHS project and emphasized the importance of Community Engagement and Involvement in developing effective and user-friendly digital health solutions. This was followed by interactive group activities, which actively engaged all participants. These sessions were designed to help participants learn how to communicate effectively, share their experiences, and express their needs and expectations regarding digital healthcare support.

A drama performance was presented by the DIGIPATHS team in collaboration with community members. The performance highlighted real-life challenges faced by patients and caregivers, demonstrating how the digital system could improve access to healthcare and facilitate better communication between patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers. Following this, an open discussion session allowed participants to share their opinions, concerns, and suggestions. The conversation focused on ensuring that the digital system is simple, accessible, and culturally appropriate, while also addressing the real-life challenges experienced by users.

Prof. Athula Sumathipala then delivered a session on the significance of CEI, sharing insights from his area of expertise. He highlighted that involving the community in research not only improves the relevance of interventions but also enhances their acceptance and long-term impact. The meeting concluded with closing remarks, expressing gratitude to all participants for their valuable contributions, followed by a networking lunch that provided an opportunity for informal discussions between the community members and project team.

The meeting successfully generated strong interest from the community to participate in the DIGIPATHS project. Participants provided valuable feedback on user needs and expectations, enhancing the project team’s understanding of how to design a digital health system that is user-centered and practical. The session also strengthened partnerships between researchers and the community, demonstrating the positive impact of active engagement and involvement in health research.