The molecular gastronomy of digital therapeutics

This chapter discusses digital therapeutic (DTx) solutions, a fast-growing treatment group that uses technology to provide evidence-based software to treat, manage, and prevent medical conditions. DTx can be standalone apps or combined with a medication or other piece of technology such as wearables, AI, or virtual reality. DTx utilizes health technology to treat medical and psychological conditions by digitally engaging a patient which can lead to clinically relevant outcomes. Clinical evaluated DTx products have undergone rigorous clinical testing through randomized clinical trials and real-world pilot projects to demonstrate safety and efficacy. Some DTxs claim to be able to reduce, augment, or replace the need for medications and thus can be considered as a synergistic combinatory package with some drugs. The chapter elaborates on digital health management teams, in which pharmaceutical care providers can provide knowledge on which DTx can augment the impact of drugs. Reimbursement structures for DTx are developing, and new standards are needed that address health technology assessment versus traditional medication so that the value of the former can be appropriately assessed.