As the world continues to grapple with the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak, consumers have begun taking more control of their own health care in the comfort and safety of their homes.
Digital therapeutics, a relatively new branch of digital health, enables this socially distant health care delivery. The technology uses software applications to enhance clinician decision making, optimize the dose and delivery of other forms of medical treatment through patient monitoring, or even act as a stand-alone intervention.
Joined by nearly 25 health technology companies, the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)® launched a new initiative to develop standards for the use of digital therapeutics, recommending best practices for the definition, application, use and performance requirements for the field. The standards will help educate the industry and, eventually, consumers to advance the adoption of the technology.
Here are five CTA members showcasing digital therapeutics in action.
Los Angeles-based startup AppliedVR reimagines pain management care with its virtual reality platform. The immersive 3D virtual world is aimed at alleviating a variety of ailments, from labor pains to discomfort during infusions for cancer treatment. VR enables a redirection of attention that can play a key role in the management of conditions such as pain and anxiety.
Ginger, a mental health care company founded on a mission of a preventive approach to mental health, offers on-demand mental health support with trained behavioral health coaches, therapists and psychiatrists through its mobile app.
Personalized, skill-building activities help curate the experience and cater to the unique needs of each patient.
Designed for all diabetes types and fitness levels, GlucoseZone provides workouts, education and coaching to help users of the app reach their fitness and diabetes control goals. The “Zone” is a target range of blood sugar levels, and the personalized workout plans help users reach and stay in their zones through live and on-demand workouts and access to coaches.
CES® 2019 AARP Pitch Competition winner Healium leverages virtual and augmented reality (AR/VR) travel to allow users to biometrically alter their virtual environment through emotions and decrease their own stress. The AR/VR experience is powered by the user’s brain patterns to “heal” virtual worlds, which promotes sensations of positivity and healing.
At CES 2019, Healium booth visitors were able to hatch butterflies in the virtual world.
CES 2020 Innovation Award Honoree Tivic Health offers a small, hand-held device that uses gentle microcurrent waveforms to reduce allergy-related sinus pain.
ClearUP guides the user to the most optimal treatment points with a light and vibration system. As the device vibrates, it delivers a low-level electrical waveform that stimulates sinus nerve fibers under the skin of the face.
Learn more about digital therapeutics during the CTA Technology & Standards Fall Forum, a digital event.