Can Digital Therapeutics Open a New Era of Medicine?

By Alena Nikuliak, Senior Business Analyst and Healthcare IT Consultant, ScienceSoft
Twitter: @ScienceSoft

While the medical field has experienced continual advances in diagnostic and treatment techniques for the last half century, the manner to prevent and treat health conditions has hardly changed. Traditionally, patients have scheduled an appointment, sometimes waiting months, to visit their healthcare provider to receive in-person treatment. But digital therapeutics is poised to change all that.

Digital therapeutics, a new and exciting field that utilizes digital tools and technologies to deliver therapeutic interventions, has the potential to open up a new era of medicine. By combining traditional medical approaches with innovative technology, digital therapeutics can transform the way healthcare providers prevent, diagnose, and treat medical conditions.

What are Digital Therapeutics?

Digital therapeutics (DTx) is a new category of healthcare interventions that use digital technologies such as mobile apps, wearable devices, and software programs to deliver evidence-based therapeutic interventions.

Digital therapeutics typically use algorithms and data analytics to deliver personalized treatment interventions that are tailored to the specific needs of the individual patient. They may also use gamification and other techniques to increase patient engagement and motivation, which is an important component of improving health outcomes.

Digital Therapeutics Applications

Some examples of digital therapeutics include patient-facing apps for the management of diabetes, software programs for cognitive behavioral therapy for depression and anxiety, and virtual reality systems for pain management. Many of these interventions have been shown to be effective in clinical trials and are increasingly being adopted at the patient level. Digital therapeutic (DTx) solutions can be used to treat, manage, or prevent a wide range of medical conditions, including:

• Mental health disorders – DTx can be used to deliver cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), and other evidence-based interventions for conditions such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Patients suffering from mental health disorders are often the ideal patients for digital treatments.
• Chronic diseases – DTx solutions can help doctors manage chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) among their patients by providing personalized interventions. These solutions also help patients track and manage their symptoms and medication regimens with a certain degree of self-sufficiency, thereby reducing the burden on the healthcare system and empowering patients.
• Addiction – Digital therapeutics can help deliver evidence-based interventions for addiction management, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for substance abuse and medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid addiction. DTx could be pivotal in turning the tide in areas impacted by the opioid epidemic.
• Neurological disorders – e-therapeutic solutions can offer support and therapy for debilitating neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and Alzheimer’s disease. As the population of the United States continues to age, healthcare systems expect a rise in these disorders and would find great value in digital interventions.
• Sleep disorders – DTx solutions can be used to deliver interventions for sleep disorders, such as insomnia and sleep apnea. With the aid of wearables, patients and providers can monitor their sleep habits and help manage any associated symptoms.

Growth of DTx Industry

The digital therapeutics (DTx) industry is experiencing rapid growth, with an increasing number of companies entering the market and a growing demand for digital health solutions. According to a report by Grand View Research, the global DTx market size was valued at $4.2 billion in 2021 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 26.1% until 2030.

Advances in Tech
The growth of the DTx industry can be attributed to several factors. First, advances in digital technology have made it possible to deliver more personalized and effective healthcare interventions. The development of a wide range of digital therapeutic solutions, including mobile apps, software programs, and wearable devices, has opened up new avenues for providers to treat patients remotely.

When these DTx solutions are paired with the advancements in telemedicine, the impact of this new category of medicine is expanded. Providers can not only treat their patients remotely with evidence-based interventions but also offer virtual appointments, online messaging, and a myriad of other benefits.

Limited Resources
Healthcare systems within the United States are increasingly struggling to meet the demands of an aging population. Patients are sometimes waiting months to get in with a doctor for treatment and facing ever-shorter appointments, as healthcare providers are forced to dedicate less time to each patient in order to service all patients.

DTx not only improves patient outcomes and reduces healthcare costs, but also provides a more efficient way for healthcare providers to deliver therapeutics to their patients. By utilizing mobile apps, software, and wearables instead of traditional in-office visits, providers can save time and still provide patients with high-quality care.

Patient Engagement
With traditional treatment methods, patients may struggle to follow through on their treatment plans due to various factors such as forgetfulness, lack of motivation, and prolonged periods between appointments. Digital therapeutics, however, can provide interactive and engaging tools (including gamification) that motivate patients to stick to their treatment plans.

Challenges Within the DTx Industry

As with any emerging field, DTx is not without challenges and limitations that are worth considering. A crucial hurdle for digital therapeutics is the regulatory guidelines and oversight required to guarantee the safety and effectiveness of this new industry.

The absence of standardization within the industry can create confusion and potentially jeopardize patients if not appropriately supervised. Industry leaders should dedicate resources to creating accepted standards within the DTx industry that can be adopted by relevant stakeholders.

Privacy and security concerns are also potential limitations, as digital therapeutics rely on the collection and analysis of personal health information. Ensuring the privacy and security of this information is crucial to maintaining patient trust and engagement in digital therapeutics. One major data breach could call into question the adoption of these solutions on a wider scale.

DTx solutions will need to address these concerns with robust security methods and rigorous privacy policies, that fall in line with HIPAA.

A New Era of Medicine Begins

The dawn of digital therapeutics (DTx) heralds a new era of medicine, and it’s about time. The healthcare industry has long been in need of more accessible, effective, and cost-efficient solutions for patients. By leveraging the power of digital technology, DTx solutions are uniquely positioned to meet these needs, providing personalized, evidence-based interventions to patients in ways that traditional medical approaches simply cannot match.

The healthcare industry must embrace these innovative solutions and work to address the challenges that come with them to ensure that DTx solutions can reach their full potential and make a meaningful impact on the lives of patients.