The next blockbuster therapy is probably already in your pocket or purse.
The FDA
recently approved the first prescription digital therapy, Pear’s
Reset app and program, which is focused on substance abuse.
Others are likely to follow. That means your next trip to the doctor could include a prescription for a mobile app in addition to, or instead of, medicine.
Digital therapy represents a powerful yet provocative new idea in health care. Software brings a precision to therapy and with it an ability to personalize treatment. This gives digital therapy a big role to play as we transition to value-based care.
But can software be a therapy all by itself? Or, as MIT’s
Technology Review recently asked, “Can ‘digital therapeutics’ be as good as drugs?”
These aren’t purely academic or technological questions. They are ones we need to take seriously as we look to curb our country’s dependence on prescription drugs and find better, more effective options for treatment. At the same time, the health care industry continues to embrace a focus on prevention. The emphasis on wellness and health management has driven new thinking about how to engage people well before they become patients.
