By Darren Kan
What is DTx?
The European Union defines Digital Therapeutics (or DTx) as “evidence-based therapeutic interventions driven by software to prevent, manage, or treat a medical disorder or disease. In other words, DTxs are patient-facing software applications that help patients treat, prevent, or manage diseases and that have a proven clinical benefit.”
DTx can assist patients in self-managing symptoms, improving their quality of life and other clinical outcomes. To encourage patients to change their behavior, DTx employs digital technologies such as mobile devices, apps, sensors, virtual reality, the Internet of Things, and other tools. Because their design is adjusted to match the demands of patients, DTx development can have a favorable impact on offering well-adapted health services. The DTx ecosystem, which is considered one of the most innovative sectors within digital health, has seen rapid growth over the last two years.
DTx can be used alone or in combination with other therapies such as pharmacological or in-person therapy, as well as with certain hardware or other sensory or mechanical devices. The treatment is based on digital measurements being collected and processed. Data can be collected and analyzed as a progress report and a preventative precaution due to the digital nature of the process. Treatments are currently being developed for a wide range of diseases and conditions, including type 2 diabetes, congestive heart failure, Alzheimer's disease, anxiety, depression, and a number of others.
Since DTx is highly sensitive to collecting personal data, there will probably be several substantial negative implications to data collection.
The patient is constantly observed and profiled: a tremendous amount of personal data is taken directly from the patient and processed in a sophisticated digital ecosystem. In the majority of cases, an accurate health and/or behavioral profile of the person is generated in order for the solution to function properly. This technique could expose patients to the risk of being constantly watched or of their profiles being repurposed.
Personal data breaches have a high impact: because of the sensitivity and volume of personal data processed within DTx applications, a potential data breach can be a severe threat to the individual concerned.
Potential security problems: Because the processing is done across many operating systems and application providers, there is a danger of unauthorized access across devices and providers owing to potential security weaknesses.
How it will change the future:
Depending on the patient's age, dialect, ethnicity, income, sickness state, or region- digital treatment solutions can have the ability to fill significant gaps in treatment for underrepresented groups. And most importantly, Digital Therapeutics can make therapeutic claims and get approval from the FDA.
A Digital Therapeutic differs from other healthcare apps in the same way that any supplement, such as Vitamin C, differs from a prescription drug acquired from a pharmacy. The medications must pass a rigorous development process driven by cutting-edge research, show efficacy in clinical trials, and be recommended by a physician. Virtual care programs, on the other hand, promise health and nutrition, can be used without a legitimate prescription, and are not subject to FDA efficacy studies. These therapeutic programs, like conventional drugs or medical devices, are subjected to medical studies and administrative review. Digital Therapeutics takes advantage of the mobile operating system's capabilities to deliver fun and personalized therapy directly to your phone.
Bibliography
Digital Health. (n.d.). Digital Therapeutics. https://digital.health/digital-therapeutics
Digital Therapeutics (DTx). (2022, June 16). European Data Protection Supervisor. https://edps.europa.eu/press-publications/publications/techsonar/digital-therapeutics-dtx_en#:%7E:text=Digital%20Therapeutics%20(DTx)%20are%20evidence,have%20a%20proven%20clinical%20benefit.
The emerging world of digital therapeutics. (2019, September 25). Nature. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02873-1?error=cookies_not_supported&code=9c454e0e-afc4-44b8-9bfc-d2a0748e72e9
Home. (2022, May 17). Digital Therapeutics Alliance. https://dtxalliance.org/
White Paper: Digital Therapeutics: Past Trends and Future Prospects. (2022, March 8). Evidera. https://www.evidera.com/digital-therapeutics-past-trends-and-future-prospects/
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