The healthcare landscape is undergoing a major shift with the rise of digital therapeutics. Also known as DTx, these innovative software programs and apps are revolutionizing the way medical conditions are prevented and treated.
As a rapidly growing field, digital therapeutics are opening up new possibilities for healthcare professionals.
What are Digital Therapeutics?
Digital therapeutics are a new kind of healthcare technology. They are apps and software that treat medical conditions. They work by changing a patient’s behavior.
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Global funding for digital health grew by 79% in 2021. This shows how fast digital healthcare is being adopted.
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Funding for digital therapeutics grew even more—up 134% in 2021! This shows the huge potential digital therapeutics have.
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For heart patients, digital therapeutics can reduce bad heart events by 45%. They can also reduce hospital returns after discharge by 50%.
Digital therapeutics provide timely and personalized treatments for many chronic conditions. These include diabetes, mental illness, neurological conditions, breathing problems, and more. They use smart algorithms and feedback loops to deliver treatments tailored to each person.
For therapists and doctors, the use of medical practice management software can help transform the way they track and monitor thier patient.
For example, Propeller Health’s digital therapeutic for asthma greatly improved patients’ medication adherence and asthma control. Pear Therapeutics’ reSET-O is the first FDA-approved digital therapeutic for treating opioid addiction. Akili Interactive’s EndeavorRx is the first FDA-cleared digital therapeutic for improving attention in kids with ADHD.
These examples show that digital therapeutics can effectively prevent, manage, and treat various health conditions. The software-based solutions empower patients to conveniently self-manage their medical disorders. Digital therapeutics promotes patient engagement, delivers remote care, and enables timely treatments. These benefits are especially important during COVID-19.
How Do They Work?
Digital therapeutics use technology people already use every day – smartphones, tablets and computers. They are designed to help patients develop healthy habits and follow treatment plans. They provide instructions, reminders, education and feedback.
Some digital therapeutics need a prescription from a doctor. Others can be downloaded directly by patients. They use interactive features like chatbots, quizzes and videos to engage users. Data and analytics track progress to optimize care.
Conditions Treated
Digital therapeutics can help manage many conditions including:
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Diabetes – Apps help log blood sugar readings and food intake. They provide education and reminders to stay on track with diet, exercise, and medicine. This improves blood sugar control.
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Addiction – Apps support addiction recovery through tools like sobriety trackers and peer support networks. This helps prevent relapses.
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Mental Health – Apps help manage conditions like depression and anxiety. Features include mood tracking, relaxation techniques, and cognitive behavioral therapy exercises. This improves coping skills.
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Chronic Pain – Apps teach pain management skills like mindfulness, biofeedback, and activity pacing. This reduces pain and improves daily function.
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Asthma – Apps monitor symptoms and triggers. They provide reminders about controller medications. This prevents asthma attacks.
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Neurological Conditions – Apps help improve cognitive skills and daily task completion in conditions like autism, ADHD and traumatic brain injury.
Benefits of Digital Therapeutics
Digital therapeutics offer many benefits including:
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Convenience – They allow treatment anytime, anywhere via mobile devices. This removes access barriers.
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Engagement – Interactive features keep patients engaged in managing their health. This leads to behavior change.
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Personalization – Programs adapt to each patient’s needs and progress. This improves outcomes.
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Data – Digital tools collect health data for providers to tailor care. This enables precision medicine.
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Cost – Apps may provide a low-cost way to manage some chronic conditions compared to medications or in-person therapy only. This increases affordability.The Future
Experts expect digital therapeutics to grow as more apps are tested and approved to treat medical conditions. As technology usage grows, digital therapeutics promise to empower patients and improve population health outcomes. Regulation and payment still need to be worked out to fully integrate them into healthcare. But they have great potential to transform the way many conditions are managed.
What are some key roles for health professionals in digital therapeutics? Here are a few emerging areas:
Clinical Development
Doctors, nurses, and therapists are needed to help develop digital therapeutics. Their clinical expertise guides the creation of digital tools that are truly effective. They provide input on digital program design, functionality, and content. Their real-world experience ensures tools meet patient needs. Ongoing feedback during development is crucial.
User Testing
Health professionals are needed to test digital therapeutics before launch. Professionals pilot tools with real patient populations and give feedback. Testing ensures tools work as intended. It confirms instructions and content are clinically sound and easy to understand. This user input helps optimize programs.
Training and Support
Introducing any new technology requires training clinicians and patients. Health professionals develop training programs and materials for digital therapeutics. They train staff and demonstrate the technology to patients. Ongoing tech support is key after launch. Health professionals provide helpdesk services and troubleshoot issues.
Implementation
Getting new technology adopted takes planning. Health pros assist with implementation strategies for digital therapeutics. They help workflow integration and change management. Their guidance on smoothly rolling out new tech is invaluable.
Monitoring and Follow-up
Health professionals monitor patients using digital therapeutics. They review patient progress data from digital tools. Professionals provide follow-up and extra patient support as needed. They help keep patients engaged with digital programs.
Program Evaluation
Clinical expertise is crucial for evaluating digital therapeutics. Health professionals assess effectiveness and clinical outcomes. Their insights inform enhancements and future development. Ongoing feedback loops help optimize digital therapeutics.
Bottom Line
Digital therapeutics open new opportunities for health professionals to apply their expertise. They ensure these new technologies are evidence-based and clinically sound. Their real-world knowledge helps transform how care is delivered through smart digital tools. Exciting times are ahead in this growing field.
Digital therapeutics use technology to treat medical conditions. They can help professionals in big ways. Apps and programs can improve sleep, mood, focus, and more. Professionals may feel less stressed and more energized. They can be more productive at work. Digital therapeutics make self-care easy.
Therapies are done on phones and computers. This allows professionals to get care anytime, anywhere. Digital tools provide personalized health data. This helps professionals understand their bodies better. Overall, digital therapeutics give professionals simple ways to be healthier. This can dramatically improve mental health, wellbeing, and performance.