2024 Digital Therapeutics Alliance Summit: A Patient Perspective

This blog was written by Angela White, a patient advocate who attended the 2024 Digital Therapeutics Alliance Summit.

Exactly four weeks after discovering what I had assumed to be “digital therapeutics” (DTx) were just digital tools, I found myself entering the 2024 Digital Therapeutics Alliance Summit, preparing to offer insights as a panelist and patient advocate—despite my relatively nascent understanding. To say I felt overwhelmed and a bit intimidated would be accurate, so much so that I had written to make sure the organizers understood my lack of personal experience with DTx, despite my enthusiasm for potentially incorporating them into patient care across different conditions.

Immediately after learning about all that DTx includes, I did a deep dive into the topic, reviewing the Digital Therapeutics Alliance (DTA) website and searching academic journals— specifically those related to conditions with which I live. The DTA website proved illuminating. The academic journals proved scant. Yet, despite the dearth of DTx references in these journals, I realized that the field held great promise, particularly for complex, chronic, and progressive conditions. Living with multiple sclerosis (MS), I thought if I could see the potential for integrating DTx into the care relationship and communicate it effectively, then the lives of the more than 2.8 million people living with MS globally could improve.

Since many of the changes that occur with MS are subtle, occurring at a pace and level that are often not detectable by clinical examination, especially one that happens annually or biannually,
having a way to detect, assess, and mitigate these changes outside of clinic visits would be of immense benefit. They could also allow for more personalized treatment for this heterogeneous
group, as well as for many other patient populations that do not have a one-size-fits-all approach to treatment and care.

So, it was with this mindset that I attended and listened to presentations from various stakeholder groups:

• Policymakers and legislators outlined the steps that had been taken already to support the creation, authorization, use, and reimbursement of digital therapeutics. They also discussed additional steps needed to further support these efforts, including revisiting and revising outdated Medicare structuring and categories to keep pace with the technological advances that have been made since these frameworks were established first.
• Health plan representatives discussed ways to ease integration of DTx into clinical use ensuring that this is done in a manner that addresses health equity concerns. They also reviewed how PBMs could promote DTx adoption for underserved populations.
• Reimbursement for DTx faces many challenges in the healthcare and payor systems. DTx companies explored alternative revenue pathways ensuring a return on investment that
  can be utilized to lead and innovate in the DTx field.
• When it came time for me to engage as a patient advocate for a workshop on Clinician and Patient Education, I was feeling so excited and inspired by all that had transpired already at the Summit that the overwhelm and intimidation I’d felt earlier had evaporated. Stakeholders from industry, advocacy groups, clinicians, and I joined together to talk about ways to advance educational efforts so that both clinicians and patients would understand DTx and be prepared to adopt their use moving forward.
• I hope it’s obvious from these synopses that a keyword to describe the 2024 DTA Summit is “collaboration”. At every point through the entire Summit, it was apparent that everyone in
  attendance understood that collaboration with and engagement of every stakeholder group represented would be required to ensure adoption of DTx on a scale that would prove meaningful. Whether asking questions, networking with other attendees and speakers, or soaking up the insights and wisdom shared by others, I felt as if I was an integral part of the proceedings, and my voice and perspective were sought out and welcomed, before, during, and after the Summit.

As one who by nature is curious—and does not shy away from expressing my opinion—I left the Summit more committed to continuing to explore digital therapeutics and encouraging the
engagement of patient advocates as a central and necessary part of the digital therapeutics landscape. Why this commitment to centrality? It’s simple. Understanding patient populations, their needs, and what supports or hinders adoption and engagement with digital therapeutics (DTx) is essential. Without this insight, even the best intentions of industry developers may fall short in enhancing quality of life or effectively managing chronic conditions. While many developers are driven by both professional and personal motivations, these efforts must align with the real-world challenges patients face to truly succeed. Thankfully, DTA and their members recognize this and are inviting patients like me to be part of this collaborative engagement model. I’m already looking forward to the 2025 DTA Summit!