Digital health is an emerging and rapidly developing field with the potential to increase the quality and efficiency of healthcare systems. The rise of digital health technologies (DHTs) has been driven by an increase in non-communicable diseases and a desire by patients to take a more active role in the management of their condition and is now being accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. DHTs have the potential to allow payers and manufacturers to track patient outcomes and adherence better, faster and more accurately, and hence support wider adoption of value-based healthcare models.
While there are several barriers to the evolution of DHTs, one of the key issues is funding. This is challenging because there are no dedicated access pathways or value assessment processes, and funding flows are driven in silos. DHT suppliers must therefore often battle with a fragmented marketplace with no clear route to market. In PharmaTimes, we explore three major access and regulatory challenges companies face when attempting to launch DHTs, resulting in an uncertain route to market.
