Topic of the Month May 2021 - Digital healthcare: Treating patients at home

Digital health apps (DiGA) are increasingly becoming part of patients' everyday lives. Since the "apps on prescription" are thoroughly tested by the BfArM before approval, they are currently only tailored to individual diseases. In this Topic of the Month, we take a look at the place DiGAs already occupy in healthcare today and how they will continue to develop in the future.

DiGA: App on prescription

Fostering healthy behavior, improving preventive care, and managing chronic conditions: medical apps can make personal health easier. After the launch of the Digital Healthcare Act (DVG) in 2019, Germany has turned over a new leaf in healthcare. Physicians in Germany can now prescribe digital health applications with the costs covered by statutory insurance.

Read the article about DiGAs here https://www.medica-tradefair.com/cgi-bin/md_medica/lib/pub/tt.cgi?oid=128397&lang=2&ticket=g_u_e_s_t

DiGA: Learning Self-Management Skills with Evidence-Based Information

Digitization continues to open vast opportunities in medical technology. As a result, Germany reimburses the prescription of an increasing number of approved digital health applications (German: Digitale Gesundheitsanwendungen, DiGA). Specialists collaborate to develop these apps, which offer a variety of low-threshold services to help patients get informed and take charge of their health and disease self-management.

Read the interview with Prof. Anja Mehnert-Theuerkauf here https://www.medica-tradefair.com/cgi-bin/md_medica/lib/pub/tt.cgi?oid=128399&lang=2&ticket=g_u_e_s_t

How to Successfully Advance Digital Health Applications

The benefits of digital health applications are numerous and include the flexibility to self-monitor your illness from home with a mobile device. One caveat: Digital health applications (DiGA – in German: "Digitale Gesundheitsanwendungen") must abide by technical and legal frameworks to be recognized as such.

Read the interview with Dr. Benedikt Zacher here https://www.medica-tradefair.com/cgi-bin/md_medica/lib/pub/tt.cgi?oid=128401&lang=2&ticket=g_u_e_s_t

 

DiGAs support eh control of one's own health and an improvement in the self-management of chronic diseases. Unlike many other medical apps, their use and safety have been certified.

 

With digital health applications, information about the disease is always available to patients everywhere

 

Cell phone supports diabetes management with an app.