These apps and their connected wearable sensors support user efforts to set health goals, track daily lifestyle changes and monitor progress achieved.
These tools are typically condition-specific, for daily use by those afflicted with chronic condition or caregivers for those afflicted. They may provide appropriate education on how to perform new needed health behaviors and tasks, log vitals, or track progress towards goals.
To help data from Digital Health tools flow in and out of electronic health record (EHR) systems—content management systems (CMS) and other sectors of the healthcare IT industry are increasingly endorsing a new standard: Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) — which enables EHRs to speak more easily to apps. Vendors have also stepped in to allow healthcare stakeholders to integrate Digital Health tools more rapidly into their EMRs.
Addressing the Gap: Interoperability Standards
The emerging value-based payment architecture that ties payments to quality metrics like readmissions and emergency room visits could create a robust market for tools that can improve outcomes. Digital Health is a promising pathway for doctors to better manage patient’s overall health, rather than treatment protocols.
Addressing the Gap:
Merit-based Incentives
As evidence supporting the efficacy of digital health tools builds, uses-cases with published randomized controlled trials (RCT) and meta-analysis studies may be eligible for inclusion in standard of care guidelines.
Addressing the Gap:
Inclusion in Standard of Care Guidelines
Guidelines and accreditation systems that define apps with acceptable privacy and security policies can help address the need for clarity around privacy, security, usability and operability for non-expert audiences including clinicians.
Addressing the Gap:
Privacy & Security Guidelines
Digital Health tools have begun flowing through regulatory pathways that award efficacy claims and thereby endorse app and device efficacy. For example, in September 2017, the FDA permitted Pear Therapeutics to market its reSET mobile medical app device system as a “prescription-only adjunct treatment” for use in Substance Use Disorder (SUD).
Addressing the Gap: Permitted Marketing Claims
Curation efforts now assist providers and health plans to identify high-quality apps. App assessment and accreditation organizations and app curation platforms may publish “Top Apps” lists or identify apps that meet specific quality criteria based on their data repositories. Information on app efficacy, usability, safety and pricing empower key clinical decision makers to select apps for inclusion in institutional Digital Therapeutics Formularies.
Addressing the Gap:
App Curation Platforms
Rate of Provider
Adoption into Practice
Acceptable
Clinician
Workflow
& Usability
Acceptable
Financial
Incentives
Mitigation of
Malpractice
Risk
Data Privacy/
Security
Assurances
Accuracy,
Efficacy
and Safety
+
+
+
+
+
+
Patient Usability
Few
Most
A Significant Number
A Significant Number
A Significant Number
A Significant Number
A Significant Number
A Significant Number
Most
Most
Most
Most
Source: American Medical Association, Digital Health Study, Sep 2016; IQVIA Institute Analysis, Sep 2017
~13%
~26%
Top Wellness & Prevention Apps
Top Condition Management Apps
Provider Requirements
+
+
Roll over requirements to learn about programs that are addressing this gap.
Mind the gap:
Adoption rates demonstrate a gap between provider requirements and reality.