Digital therapeutics in the healthcare landscape
Tags: ai, computervision, computerscience, webdev
Published: 2023-11-22 16:30:55

_This post is a quick overview of an Abto Software’s [blog article](https://www.abtosoftware.com/blog/digital-therapeutics-remote-therapeutics-monitoring)._

Although the healthcare industry is undergoing sensible changes, chronic disease is rising all over the world, and, the worst thing, most conditions are requiring lifelong medication and monitoring.

Digital therapeutics, as part of innovative healthcare technology, are transforming how diseases are managed. Digital therapeutics, unlike generic health-focused applications, are undergoing clinical and regulatory review, which ensures facilitated efficiency and security.

## Market overview

As stated by several popular sources:

- In 2022, the DTx market size was valued at only $6.5 billion
- By 2025, the DTx market share is forecast to reach $56 billion

Talking about digital therapeutics, the US is the definite leader among regions, outstripping Europe and Asia. The reasons are obvious – an opportune political environment, high competition, and great business landscape among others.

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/1dkf3f5h7je3t60shmp8.jpg)

## What are digital therapeutics?

### Digital therapeutics explained briefly

Digital therapeutics empower individuals to manage their symptoms and thereby to improve their conditions. The approach typically involves the utilization of applications, mobile devices, virtual and augmented reality, and other modern tools.

Digital therapeutics are designed to enhance:

- Healthcare accessibility
- Preventive interventions
- Physician’s ability to manage their patients from anywhere and anytime
- Data accuracy and consistency associated with personalized information

### Digital therapeutics and other healthcare technologies

It’s crucial to distinguish digital healthcare and DTx – these overlap but point to completely different processes. While many modern-age applications are designed and utilized to facilitate patient outcomes and satisfaction, so-called DTx are evidence-backed and undergoing regulatory scrutiny. 

How are digital therapeutics, virtual care, telehealth and telemedicine applications related within the whole digital health technology spectrum?

- All four mentioned concepts are leveraging computational technology to improve healthcare delivery and enhance care efficiency
- Digital therapeutics are often part of:
a. Virtual care
b. Telehealth and telemedicine solutions
- Virtual care along with other technologies are providing the infrastructure being essential for the seamless delivery of home-based digital therapeutics
- Telehealth and telemedicine solutions might incorporate digital therapeutics to provide the patient with access to evidence-based digital interventions as part of their remote programs

### What is remote therapeutic monitoring (RTM)?

Remote therapeutic monitoring (RTM) helps collect and manage non-physiological information from patients. This include musculoskeletal or respiratory statuses, program and medication adherence, treatment outcomes, and more.

Remote therapeutic monitoring also enables patients to report newsworthy information through applications. This way, attending clinicians can monitor their statuses, pain levels, and other critical indicators.

### The value of RTM in the healthcare landscape

Some organizations are already actively adopting this approach to achieve better performance and outcomes. Remote monitoring has shown significant potential in managing chronic diseases, post-surgical rehabilitation, and individuals struggling with mobility limitations.

Strategic-thinking companies might handle multiple roadblocks by implementing computational technology. Remote monitoring might eliminate geographical barriers, hospital readmissions, unnecessary appointments, staff shortage, and more.

## The need for adopting digital therapeutics

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/wj9mh98ylhv2ugudwuua.jpg)

Digital therapeutics are beneficial where conventional healthcare approaches can’t provide expected results. Mental health, diabetes, stroke, as well as other widespread conditions that suffer from low adherence rates, are just some examples.

Digital therapeutics are available or currently being researched for different therapeutic areas:

- Blood disorders 
- Digestive disorders 
- Endocrine, nutritional, metabolic disorders
- Musculoskeletal disorders
- Circulatory system disorders  
- Nervous system disorders
- Women’s health
- Cognitive disorders

## Examples of digital therapeutics

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/5oukd9s5as5tuku3e7k9.jpg)

### Behavioral modification

In the scope of behavioral modification, digital therapeutics might empower:

- Increased accessibility by delivering doctor-patient interaction through applications and platforms
- Personalized interventions by allowing healthcare professionals to consider individual needs and goals
- Real-time feedback and tracking
- Continuous support

### Substance use disorder treatment 

Speaking about substance use disorder treatment, digital therapeutics might provide:

- Remote access: digital therapy helps eliminate geographical barriers and traditional in-person visits
- Patient anonymity: digital therapy ensures anonymity and privacy
- Relapse prevention: this approach enables self-monitoring, personalized support, coping strategies, and more, helping patients navigate triggers
- Integrated care: the approach can be successfully integrated into existing healthcare frameworks

### Disease management and self-monitoring

- Enhanced self-awareness: digital solutions help individuals to participate in their health management by tracking their symptoms, vital signs, and behavior
- Personalized interventions: digital solutions can offer personalized interventions and recommendations by collecting and analyzing patient-generated information
- Medication adherence: with reminders, useful content, and tools to improve medication adherence, the patient can stay on track with the prescribed program
- Remote therapeutics monitoring (RTM): through connected personal devices, healthcare professionals can supervise health statuses and intervene when necessary

### Physical therapy and rehabilitation

- Remote assessment: by using artificial intelligence, such solutions can analyze patient-reported data, including images and videos
- Guided exercises: by utilizing computer vision, such software can analyze captured images or videos during sessions, enabling real-time guided exercising 
- Personalized progression: by adapting the program to the individual’s progress, innovation-driven tools such as pose detection can enable personalized progression
- Continuous monitoring: through convenient remote tracking and adjustment, camera-based tools might benefit MSK treatment by preventing potential injuries 

## Summing up

Abto Software delivers custom-designed, value-added products for forward-looking healthcare professionals. Our engineers cover every project stage from consulting and discovery to planning, software development, testing, launch, and maintenance.

Digital therapeutics help provide patient-centric services using secure, clinically evaluated healthcare products.

Partner with tech professionals to enjoy:

- Business productivity
- Risk management
- Patient care and recovery
- Customer satisfaction and loyalty

Abto Software’s healthcare expertise:

- AI based pose estimation for remote physical therapy – movement analysis for telerehabilitation
- CV enabled jump recognition and analysis – sensorless human motion detection
- CV supported self-diagnosis application – markerless human pose detection
- CV-based application for precise blood recognition and analysis
- Computer vision to drive medical imaging
- Computer vision to empower fall detection for video analytics platform