Digital Health Tools Growing in Production & Effectiveness
IQVIA Institute suggests the fitness and tech industry are collectively turning a corner with regard to digital health
The health and wellness industry is getting faster, smarter and broader — and it’s starting to let the public know.
In a recently published report titled Digital Health Trends 2024: Implications for Research and Patient Care, the IQVIA Institute for Human Data Science relays data illustrating an increase in digital health products, particularly those aimed at patient diagnosis, treatment and monitoring. With support via commercial appeal and cutting-edge technology, these expanding solutions offer more robust care to the masses than ever before.
“The landscape of digital health has evolved over the past two years, yielding new products that are more commercially viable and meet the needs of stakeholders across a broadening set of uses,” said Murray Aitken, executive director at the IQVIA Institute.
“Digital health tools now support both patients and providers as they move from diagnosis to treatment and disease monitoring, with their scope expanding as new health assessment tools such as digital diagnostics have joined more mature digital therapies, accelerating care and closing gaps to improve health outcomes.”
Report Details
First and foremost, the report found that 337,000 digital health apps currently exist — and although that total amount conveys a 4% decline since 2021, more disease-specific apps are popping up at a notable rate, per the report. An abundance focus on mental health, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. However, more diverse options aimed at assisting patients with visual impairments, auditory issues or dermatologic conditions have also recently launched, illustrating a broadened approach to the sector.
Digital therapeutics are building momentum at an even greater rate. As of 2024, 140 prescription digital therapeutics intended for at-home usage have been approved for patent in one or more countries, illustrating a 560% bump from 2021. More than 220 provider-focused digital therapy tools for clinics or care programs have also been made available, equating more than 360 commercially-available digital therapies.
Like with the aforementioned apps, their evolution has led to more distinct therapies being administered. This includes those that treat visual impairments, post-stroke neurological rehabilitation, PTSD and phobias thanks to biofeedback and virtual reality.
As for digital diagnostic services, at least 103 are currently commercially available, per the report. This is largely due to an influx of software-based devices that process signals via sensors, which makes assessing disease risk, making diagnoses, the monitorization of patient health and assessing their prognosis fast and feasible. Newly detectable conditions include autism and autism spectrum disorders, sleep apnea, atrial fibrillation, skin cancers, epilepsy and sepsis.
Driving Factors
The report goes on to present an increased usage of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) as supportive instruments fueling many of these initiatives. Roughly 75 AI/ML point-of-care tools have been approved by the FDA, per the report. Other touted features include wearables and sensor based digital measures that give clinical trials more precise data to monitor patient progression and foster hospital-at-home solutions. Garmin and Rook represent two of the many brands facilitating such efforts. The NBA also conducted a similar study earlier this year aimed at protecting player health with the aforementioned tools.
“Ultimately, these solutions will better fit into existing care pathways and bring benefits to more segments of patients and health systems,” Aitken added. While the report highlights the growing adoption of digital health innovations, it also notes that significant investment in these technologies remains lacking. This funding gap has forced developers to abandon or restructure projects, creating additional hurdles.
Nonetheless, the increased availability of these applications, technologies and more represents a win for the industry and an early foundation that could give way to sizable investments that further sustain the sector. The Market Research Institute projecting a 13.83% expansion for the health and fitness software market from 2024 to 2031 bodes well too.