The difference between digital care and digital therapeutics

Dr. Louise S. Fincher · 2020-08-01T14:12:46.475Z

As the digital health field becomes more and more crowded, so too has it become increasingly difficult to differentiate between the wide variety of tech-based healthcare offerings. In a recent op-ed for Stat, Sean Duffy, co-founder and CEO of Omada Health, calls for standardized definitions for digital therapeutics and digital care — the two most distinct categories within digital health. The term "digital therapeutics," according to Mr. Duffy, "categorize[s] evidence-based, clinically validated and regulatory-adherent digital interventions." "Digital care," meanwhile, represents "a constellation of hyperpersonalized care pathways." For example, when Omada Health initially offered only a CDC-approved diabetes management program, the startup classified itself as a digital therapeutics company. Now that it has expanded into an entire platform of solutions addressing a multitude of physical and mental health conditions, however, Omada has rebranded as a digital care provider. "The best analogy for the care we deliver today is a specialty medical clinic or hospital, 'digital Mayo Clinic,' if you will," Mr. Duffy wrote. "Put simply, our job as a digital care provider is to address the needs of the people who choose to use our program, much as brick-and-mortar clinics or hospitals address the needs of those who come through their doors." Creating this distinction — not only internally at Omada, but also among the digital health industry as a whole — is crucial. "A category without a solid definition becomes little more than a marketing tool," Mr. Duffy concluded. Credit: Andrea Park

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