Digital therapeutics: a new generation of healthcare
Digital therapeutics are clinically-validated solutions that may be used as standalone interventions or in association with other treatments to engage patients and improve the overall quality, cohesion, outcomes and value of healthcare delivery.
They represent a new generation of healthcare that enhance, and in some cases replace, current medical practices and treatments.
The Digital Therapeutics Alliance (DTA) launched in late October 2017, with the mission of broadening the understanding, adoption and integration of digital therapeutic solutions into mainstream healthcare through education, advocacy and research.
DTA members and partners – including patients, healthcare providers, payers, academic institutions, technology organisations and pharmaceutical manufacturers – will collaborate to:
- Enhance patient outcomes through assessing the value and impact of DTx solutions in clinical practice.
- Further develop real-world evidence studies and pilot programmes.
- Construct industry and regulatory frameworks.
- Develop robust repositories of industry data and analyses.
DTx solutions demonstrate safety and efficacy in randomised clinical trials; receive regulatory clearance when used as a medical device; integrate into clinical practice; and tailor to patients’ clinical needs, goals, and lifestyles. These solutions consist of patient-facing treatments, clinical assessment and outcomes tracking tools, clinician monitoring dashboards and HIPAA-compliant data storage.
These tools are used in daily life to improve patient and provider visibility into complex treatment processes and simplify pathways to better outcomes. They will significantly benefit individuals and communities by improving chronic disease care and treatment.
Part of the DTA strategy is also to form partnerships to enhance and expand its influence and range of action. To that end, Healthware International and Digitalhealth.network have partnered in the project to support DTA’s overall strategy and communications activities.
DTA Founding Members
Founding members of the Alliance include Akili Interactive, Propeller Health, Voluntis and WellDoc.
Eddie Martucci, CEO of Akili Interactive, highlights how digital therapeutics are re-writing our definition of medicine. It’s critical that industry, academia, government and the medical community work together in the next phase of medical adoption. He is excited to drive this effort alongside other leaders who share their dedication to rigorous clinical validation and organisational excellence in product development.
Pierre Leurent, CEO of Voluntis, adds that digital therapeutics are at the forefront of a new era in healthcare. As the entire industry prepares for what is next, DTA is excited to represent digital therapeutics in this rapidly-evolving environment, working with regulators, patient advocacy groups, providers, payers and manufacturers.
Anand K. Iyer, Chief Strategy Officer of WellDoc, highlights the Alliance’s dedication to advancing novel platforms and solutions that improve patients’ lives and add value to physicians, care teams and the healthcare system. DTA actively encourages and supports companies working to develop, trial and market digital offerings with meaningful clinical benefits.
Sean Duffy, CEO of Omada Health, is a Strategic Advisor. Mr Duffy strongly believes that this specialised category of products emerged from the broader digital health category, with DTx companies quickly differentiating themselves via clinical fidelity, evidence-based approaches, policy engagement and a commitment to outcome-focused reimbursement.
Learn more at: www.dtxalliance.org.
