No one really knew what digital therapeutics were 10 years ago. Today, there’s still no good definition.
At its simplest, the field includes apps intended to be used like medicine or even with medicine — think of the ovulation-tracking app that was cleared by the Food and Drug Administration for contraception, or the apps that work with sensors stuck on pills or in blood glucose readers. The field also includes video games and apps designed to replicate well-established mental health therapies.
Even without clear defining lines, the field has attracted serious attention from researchers, regulators and investors — and could soon, some suspect, pull in major technology companies.
About the Author Reprints
