Digital Therapies (DTx) as New Tools within Physicians' Therapeutic Arsenal: Key Observations to Support their Effective and Responsible Development and Use.

Abstract

In recent years, there has been a swift rise in the development of digital therapies (DTx). As a result of various technological advances and accessibility to patients, it is now possible to develop and offer therapeutic interventions in a digital manner. These take the form of an evidence-based intervention that is administered in digital form to prevent, manage, or treat a medical condition. What makes DTx significantly different from other types of digital applications or services (e.g., wellness applications) is that they are interventions authorised by regulatory agencies for the treatment, like a drug, of a health condition. Yielding actual therapeutic benefits and being at the crossroads of health and digital means that DTx are subject to both the upsides and downsides of both sectors. Thus, it is of particular interest to look at the facilitators and barriers to be foreseen in the development, assessment, and implementation of DTx. In this article, we will present key observations and outline the main challenges that may be faced in the development and integration of DTx into practice. It is certain that DTx can represent an interesting avenue for physicians to bring their prescribing role into the 21st century. We conclude with broad lessons that the emerging field of DTx can learn from decades of drug industry practice to avoid history repeating itself and to fast-track the development and ethical and optimal use of DTx.