Get up to speed on the basics of this digital health solution – digital therapeutics.
Digital therapeutics are both a massive growth area for health tech and an exciting solution to some of healthcare’s long-term challenges. In this article, we’ll answer your top questions about digital therapeutics (DTx) and point you to additional learning resources.
5 Things to Know About Digital Therapeutics
1. What are digital therapeutics? How are they different from digital health and wellness apps?
This might seem complicated, but it’s actually quite easy to break down.
- Digital health is healthcare delivered using digital technology. This huge field includes telemedicine (practicing medicine remotely via a telephone, website, video conferencing system, etc.), Internet-connected medical devices, remote patient monitoring, and software programs designed to help monitor or treat diseases.
- Digital therapeutics are part of digital health. Specifically, they are software applications that have been carefully developed and rigorously tested to help a patient treat, manage, or prevent a medical condition. Some DTx have to be prescribed by a physician.
- Wellness apps – also called health apps or fitness apps – are less specialized than DTx apps. They usually target a broader population, don’t require a prescription, and offer more general functionality or health advice.
The key takeaway here is that digital therapeutics are a medical intervention delivered by software.
2. What standards must DTx meet?
The Digital Therapeutics Alliance (DTA) states that:
“DTA advocates that digital therapeutics be held to the same standards of evidence as other medical therapies. This includes a selection of the proper trial design, utilization of standardized endpoints, alignment with Good Clinical Practices (GCP), appropriate reporting of outcomes, publication of results in peer-reviewed journals, and the generation and application of Real World Evidence (RWE).
DTx must be subject to recognized standards of evidence in the field of medicine […] A product without an evidence base should not, therefore, be put forth as a digital therapeutic.”
3. What healthcare challenges do digital therapeutics address?
DTx can be developed to handle many different use cases. Some of their chief benefits include:
- Patient compliance – By making it easier for patients to monitor their conditions and participate in self-care, DTx improves patient engagement and compliance.
- Healthcare delivery – DTx allows more people to access health information and treatment options.
- Costs and staffing – DTx products help providers work more efficiently and treat patients more effectively. Plus, they are usually much less expensive than prescription medications.
- Personalized care – In a discussion regarding the current digital therapeutics landscape, Akili Interactive co-founder Matt Omernick pointed out that DTx is like getting a pill that’s designed uniquely for you. They can adapt to changes and create tailored recommendations for each patient’s circumstances.
4. How are DTx currently being used?
Digital therapeutic products have already been used to treat or prevent:
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure/heart disease
- Substance abuse disorders
- Asthma
- Stress incontinence
- Insomnia
- Digestive health conditions
- Behavioral health conditions
DTx has an affinity for mental and cognitive health; they can help people practice stress management and cope with anxiety and depression. They’ve also been used for more complicated cases, such as an adjunct to antipsychotic drugs in the treatment of schizophrenia and as a cognitive therapy app for people dealing with traumatic brain injuries.
It’s important to note that DTx can be used in conjunction with other therapies, including medications.
5. What obstacles must DTx overcome?
In a comprehensive look at digital healthcare and digital therapeutics’ current state, Star Health and Wellness experts identified three main challenges to digital therapeutics’ widespread adoption:
- Lack of awareness – especially among patients.
- Data privacy – again, particularly for patients.
- Regulatory approval – As this is a very broad field, it will be hard to set up a comprehensive, universal evaluation framework.
Learn More About DTx
Now that you know the basics of DTx, their place in the healthcare system, and what they have the potential to deliver, would you like to learn more? If so, I can recommend the following articles:
