Digital Therapeutics (DTx) will be a space for digital pioneers and industry thought leaders to engage in the discussion of how technology is being utilized to improve patient outcomes and health care spending.
What a difference a decade makes
That’s the amount of time it’s been since the first Digital Therapeutics conference. In fact, when we visited a conference few years ago, we didn’t know that “digital therapeutics” was even a thing. However, after listening to leaders in the field we quickly realized how digital medicine was not only making healthcare more convenient for patients, but delivering real clinical results.
2022 is expected to be a strong year for digital therapeutics as advancements in wearables, AR/VR, 5G connectivity, and health-focused AI chatbots continue. This will enable novel capabilities such as remote monitoring of chronic medical conditions as well as continuous physiologic and biometric data acquisition from loved ones.
Senses expanding and contracting into a new, enlightened reality. These are the moments of true clarity for users of Digital Therapeutics. It’s one thing to quantify this stuff with spreadsheets and algorithms.
Digital therapeutics are rapidly growing in popularity
Driven by consumer concerns over the cost of healthcare, accelerating technology adoption, and large amounts of capital moving into Digital Therapeutics solutions, this trend will continue to evolve. There are a lot of trends related with digital therapeutics innovations, including augmented/virtual reality platforms, wearable sensors, DTx developer tools, artificial intelligence capabilities, and 5G connectivity advancements. It also discusses the benefits for pharmaceutical companies and highlights supporting factors accelerating the adoption of telemedicine and remote patient monitoring via digital therapeutics.
Some therapists described an education gap with clinicians and patients, as many clinical physicians are not up to date on the existing literature related to these treatments. This has resulted in a treatment gap for patient populations seeking trustworthy information to make the decision to try the devices. In addition, access to DTx through plans can be challenging due to inadequate processes, not enough time for providers to place orders, and low reimbursement rates. Lastly, measurement is a key area that needs improvement, as it has been nearly impossible to track patient outcomes using electronic medical records.
Physicians have expressed a growing willingness to use digital therapies as alternatives to prescriptions. Despite physicians’ interest, a study shows that physicians are often uninformed about the benefits and risks of digital therapies. A recent study revealed a need for information to educate healthcare teams about appropriate prescribing practices. Physicians noted an interest in collaboration with medical schools and educational groups to bridge the gap between what they know and how they treat patients.
Digital therapies are growing
Acceptance of digital therapies is growing, MDs learn how to prescribe them, partnerships with medical schools and other educational groups to create pathway for information sharing.
Digital therapeutics has had some acceptance by physicians. Patients are using these therapies everyday with recommendations from their providers. Physician education is needed to provide more knowledge on the topic so they can better educate their patients. This will help grow patient engagement with these therapies.
It’s no secret that healthcare is one of the fastest growing areas of technology investment. An important part of this investment is Digital Therapeutics (DTx), or digital health devices used to treat patients “in-the-home,” or “in-the-clinic.” The challenge for DTx is the supply chain management, particularly when it comes to shipping these small sensitive devices across country to patients.
To make DTx a viable option for patients and physicians, the manufacturing process must be streamlined enough that it fits into their lives. As such, the same technology that is improving digital commerce must also be used to improve digital therapeutics. Designing new devices and packaging with an integrated supply chain in mind will help ensure the success of DTx
Digital therapeutics (DTx) has grown immensely in the past few years and if you are a company who are interested in digital health with Digital Salutem everything is possible. Contact us for more relevant details. To find out more about how we can help you with your Digital Healthcare Transformation, Healthcare organizational growth, or Healthcare brand positioning, please get in touch via phone +44 (0) 203 3620421 or via e-mail: info@digitalsalutem.com
