Future-Oriented and Patient-Centric? A Qualitative Analysis of Digital Therapeutics and Their Interoperability

This paper focuses on the integration of digital therapeutics (DTx) into future-oriented and patient-centric care pathways. Based on a workshop series and problem-centered interviews in Germany, the current state-of-the-art of regulatory and technical integration of DTx was mapped as a landscape of DTx interoperability. The results focus on key interfaces of DTx, namely with Electronic Health Records (EHRs), devices, and other digital health innovations such as telemedicine, and highlight current challenges and potentials for future development. On a broader level, the results point to unresolved issues of care coordination, the optional role of the EHRs as regulated platforms for care, and the importance of integrating DTx data into public data spaces for research.