We are all familiar with the abundance of technological advances that we are afforded in our times, changing vast areas in the life of business, travel, interpersonal relationships, and especially in medical treatment. With the advent of increasingly advanced software and specialized machines, many people with debilitating conditions can look forward to a better quality of life. Digital therapeutics is a new field that replaces or combines common treatments for better patient outcomes. The future looks promising, with enhanced treatments potentially for conditions ranging from diabetes, cardiovascular, and respiratory, to Parkinson’s disease, depression, and even addiction.Â
Psychological and cognitive disorders have long been difficult to diagnose and treat. But with the help of eye-tracking software, diagnosis for cognitive conditions like autism are made more accurate, even potentially indicating levels of symptoms.
Further still, programs that monitor and analyze voice markers, can aid the diagnosis of depression, schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s. Another digital therapy has been developed to help combat anxiety, a widespread condition ranging from mild to extreme.Â
- Meteor is a biofeedback game, developed by Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, that increases the difficulty of gameplay when the player becomes anxious. This makes the player focus on calming down before being able to continue the game. This helps those suffering from anxiety to practice self-regulating levels of nervousness.Â
- Similarly, Quotient slows gameplay when the player’s attention starts wondering, causing the player to refocus their attention, aiding those diagnosed with ADHD and similar conditions.Â
-  Other more serious disorders are also finding promising digital therapies. PearTherapeutics’ reSET uses digital cognitive behavioral therapy to help those with substance abuse disorders who are transitioning to outpatient.Â
It seems clear that patients can benefit greatly from these innovative and conventional mash-ups. With so many applications a wide range of people can hope for a better quality of life with digital therapeutics.Â
Learn more about digital therapeutics here!
Source: Nursing School Hub
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Last Updated on February 3, 2021.
