S4-E8.4 - Digital Apps: Patient Participation and Regulatory Challenges

Send us Fan MailFor the first time, Surfing NASH takes a deep dive into the prospect of digital therapeutics, their ability to drive outcomes and the critical success factors for proper use and deployment. This is an increasingly apt topic which intermittently surfaces on the podcast but has never featured at the center of conversation. The Surfers are joined by Naim Alkhouri and two new guests with prominent focus in this space: Joe Rubinsztain, CEO and Co-Founder of ChronWell, and Mark Berman, CMO of Better Therapeutics.In this session, the group continues to discuss the benefits behind having an app where patients are in command of their wellness journey. Roger Green prompts Mark to further detail the Better Therapeutics product deployed in the feasibility study of cognitive behavioral therapy for improved liver health. Mark confirms that the product used was effectively the same which was used in their trial to demonstrate meaningful changes in blood sugar control for Type 2 diabetic patients. He reiterates the behavioral similarities that often underlie cardiometabolic conditions. Their thesis is that with the right support or therapy to address these behaviors, we can target multiple conditions simultaneously. Mark explains that the challenge therein lies in demonstrating from a regulatory perspective that this is an evidence-based form of prescriptive therapy.Louise spurs comments around the idea that transparency in patient participation is enhanced when levels of comfort and trust for a process are high. She goes on to describe an app she is developing called MyLife365.me. This is a free lifestyle app that tracks how your daily life choices of food, drink and exercise impacts your liver health.While this session features ideas around both the enormous potential and daunting challenges behind the world of digital health and digital therapeutics, the panelists provide rich insights which remain optimistic. These are big questions with far-reaching implications for the future of medicine. If you enjoy this topic and would like to learn more, we kindly invite you to leave a review on your preferred listening platform. We also encourage our audience to write us questions to include your on-ground experiences and ideas in the weekly discourse. Thank you for your continued support - stay safe and surf on!