Digital Therapies: A New Frontier in Internet Healthcare

According to survey statistics, three-quarters of deaths in the United States are attributable to unhealthy behaviors. In China, approximately half of all diseases are also caused by such behaviors. Research indicates that these conditions can often be prevented, and tragedies averted, by modifying patients’ unhealthy behavioral habits. Digital therapies represent a new category of healthcare that has emerged under the impetus of medical reform and digital technology.

What Are Digital Therapies?
Digital Therapies, also known as Digital Therapy/Digital Therapeutic, literally translated as: Digital Therapeutics.

It is generally used to describe software and services that integrate web, mobile, wearable devices, and other digital technologies to guide and help target populations abandon unhealthy lifestyle habits, encourage greater interaction with groups exhibiting healthy lifestyles, and reduce the risk of preventable diseases. It can be understood as a type of lifestyle behavior management software.

Unlike general health management applications, Digital Therapeutics (DTx) represents a clinically meaningful approach. Any digitally delivered therapy with clinical significance must address two critical aspects: first, it must continuously engage and motivate patients; second, it must demonstrate proven efficacy to the medical community, akin to traditional pharmacological treatments. This is why most effective health apps cannot be classified as Digital Therapeutics.

What are the primary disease indications for “digital therapies”?

Digital therapeutics primarily leverage software applications to deliver therapeutic benefits. Currently, the conditions addressed include diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, mental disorders, and high-risk pregnancies, with a particular focus on subcategories such as neurodegenerative diseases, mental health, hypertension, and respiratory diseases.

Overall, chronic diseases are the most common applications. According to Gandhi’s statistics, “75% of healthcare spending is related to chronic diseases, and 80% of heart disease and diabetes cases can be prevented through changes in lifestyle behaviors.”

“Digital Therapeutics”: Current Market Landscape and Industry Trends

According to Rock Health’s 2014 Annual Investment Report on Digital Health, companies in the “digital therapeutics” category began attracting angel investors two to three years prior, with institutional investors entering the space on a large scale in 2014. Furthermore, digital therapeutics was one of the three major categories that experienced significant growth in financing during 2014.

Malay Gandhi, General Manager at Rock Health, also believes that after experiencing explosive growth in 2014, the growth trend of digital therapeutics will further expand in 2015. Many companies have stood out in this category, including Omada, Propeller Health, Lantern, Wellframe, and Wildflower Health, all of which have demonstrated that software can be used to deliver clinical outcomes.

In ten years, apart from medication, using a digital application to treat depression, insomnia, kidney stones, lower back pain, and other conditions will become the primary treatment method recommended by doctors to patients.

According to Rock Health’s report, there are currently three companies in the digital therapeutics sector that have garnered the most investor attention:

Omada, is a leading pioneer in “digital therapeutics” (for more details on Omada, see here), and the first company to apply social networking principles to legitimate clinical treatment. By combining the most effective behavioral medicine therapies with advanced technology, it delivers services directly to customers. Its inaugural program, named “Prevent,” is a 16-week initiative designed to help individuals seeking weight loss reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The company has secured $24.9 million in financing.

Mango Health, improving patient treatment for chronic diseases through gamification. Trials have shown that it increases adherence by over 50% in the management of chronic conditions, including cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and diabetes. It has secured $8.3 million in funding to date.

Kurbo, offering a research-backed program to help children aged 8–18 develop healthy lifestyle habits, maintain a healthy weight, and boost their self-confidence. 85% of participants reported a significant reduction in their BMI within 10 weeks. The company has secured $5.8 million in venture capital funding to date.

Chief Advisor for VCBeat’s Glossary of Trending English Terms in Digital Health: Zhao Xinyuan, CEO of Beijing InTechLong Technology Co., Ltd., and Member of the HL7 China Technical Steering Committee.

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