An emerging, rapidly evolving sector of the digital health market that uses data analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence to help patients with behavior change.
Deeper dive
Digital therapeutics is considered by some to be promising as a complement – or even replacement – to drug and medical device therapeutics in patient care. The idea is for machines to support physicians, nurses, care coordinators, health coaches and physical therapists to practice at the top of their licenses by conducting routine and remote monitoring and coordination of a patient’s prescribed treatment. Some in Silicon Valley are betting that digital therapeutics can be just as or more effective than some medicines in treating common conditions. For instance, a digital therapeutic application could help a patient with insomnia develop better sleep habits and behavior modifications instead of relying on sleeping pills.
In September 2017, Pear Therapeutics gained Food and Drug Administration approval for the marketing of its mobile application called Reset to help treat substance abuse disorder. Reset is one of the first FDA-approved digital therapeutic applications. Its approval was based on the results of a 12-week clinical trial of nearly 400 patients.