Description
Digital health technologies (DHT) have the potential to radically alter the landscape of medical treatment. According to a report from the Pew Research Center, 97% of Americans own a cell phone of some kind and 85% own a smartphone. In addition, approximately 75% own a desktop or laptop and about 50% own a tablet computer. While DHT was being both researched and marketed prior to 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic brought with it a dramatic and overnight shift in treatment provision which led to widespread use of telehealth and digital therapeutics. Funding for DHT more than doubled from 2020 to 2021, from $14.9 billion to 29.1 billion, with mental health as the top funded disease category with a total investment of $5.1 billion dollars in 2021. The use of DHT has increased access to treatment and has the potential to improve outcomes and help decrease stigma. Unfortunately, the demand for DHT has outpaced the research needed to prove these interventions safe and effective. This has led to clinicians making decisions about the use of DHT without the benefit of being able to study peer-reviewed literature and consensus-based guidelines. Further, many commercially available DHT lack supporting evidence with much of the research being conducted by those who stood to gain financially. To capitalize on the potential benefits of DHT it is vital that these interventions are subject to the same rigorous approval process used for other treatments such as pharmaceuticals. With the prolific availability of mental health DHT psychiatrists must educate themselves about the different kinds of DHT and take the lead in advocating for rigorous, transparent and independent study of these interventions and work with lawmakers to assure that legislative mandates do not outpace what is known about safety and efficacy of these interventions. Ethical and legal considerations, particularly regarding sensitive patient health information must be address and perhaps most importantly, vulnerable and historically underrepresented populations must be considered and studied to assure that the use of DHT does not worsens already devastating healthcare inequities. Participants in this workshop will be introduced to a broad definition of DHT and provided with examples of digital health interventions including current research and evidence. Potential benefits as well as ethical, regulatory, reimbursement and social concerns will be introduced, and participants will brainstorm both potential solutions as well as how to advocate for the changes needed to assure that patients are using safe, effective interventions.
Format
Recorded webinar, non-interactive, self-paced distance learning activity.
This presentation was recorded at the American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting 2023.
Learning Objectives
- Define digital health technology (DHT) and evaluate the uses of digital therapeutics such as mobile apps, mobile sensing devices and computer-based e-learning modules
- Analyze the research environment and evidence base for DHT and digital therapeutics
- Discuss the ethical, legal/regulatory, reimbursement and social concerns associated with the use of DHT
- Identify how the use of DHT can improve access and treatment outcomes for mental health and substance use disorders
Target Audience
Medical Students, Residents/Fellows, Psychiatrists
Estimated Time to Complete
Estimated Duration: 1.25 hours
Begin Date: March 1, 2024
End Date: March 1, 2027
How to Earn Credit
Participants who wish to earn AMA PRA Category 1 Credit ™ or a certificate of participation may do so by completing all sections of the course including the evaluation. After evaluating the program, course participants will be provided with an opportunity to claim hours of participation and print an official CME certificate (physicians) or certificate of participation (non-physicians) showing the event date and hours earned.
Continuing Education Credit
In support of improving patient care, the American Psychiatric Association is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
Physicians
The APA designates this enduring activity for a maximum of 1.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit ™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Faculty and Planner Disclosures
The American Psychiatric Association adheres to the ACCME’s Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Medical Education. Any individuals in a position to control the content of a CME activity — including faculty, planners, reviewers or others — are required to disclose all relevant financial relationships with ineligible entities (commercial interests). All relevant conflicts of interest have been mitigated prior to the commencement of the activity.
Program Presenters
- Akiva Daum, MD. Has no financial relationships to disclose.
- Sherry Nykiel, MD. Has no financial relationships to disclose.
Program Planners
- Vishal Madaan, MD, Chief of Education and Deputy Medical Director, APA. Has no financial relationships to disclose.
Accessibility for Participants with Disabilities
The American Psychiatric Association is committed to ensuring accessibility of its website to people with disabilities. If you have trouble accessing any of APA’s online resources, please contact us at 202-559-3900 for assistance.
Technical Requirements
This internet-based CME activity is best experienced using any of the following:
- The latest and 2nd latest public versions of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari
- Internet Explorer 11+
This Web site requires that JavaScript and session cookies be enabled. Certain activities may require additional software to view multimedia, presentation, or printable versions of the content. These activities will be marked as such and will provide links to the required software. That software may be: Adobe Acrobat Reader, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Windows Media Player.
Optimal System Configuration:
- Browser: Google Chrome (latest and 2nd latest version), Safari (latest and 2nd latest version), Internet Explorer 11.0+, Firefox (latest and 2nd latest version), or Microsoft Edge (latest and 2nd latest version)
- Operating System: Windows versions 8.1+, Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) +, Android (latest and 2nd latest version), or iOS/iPad OS (latest and 2nd latest version)
- Internet Connection: 1 Mbps or higher
Minimum Requirements:
- Windows PC: Windows 8.1 or higher; 1 GB (for 32-bit)/2 GB (for 64-bit) or higher RAM; Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver; audio playback with speakers for programs with video content
- Macintosh: Mac OS X 10.5 or higher with latest updates installed; Intel, PowerPC G5, or PowerPC G4 (867MHz or faster) processor; 512 MB or higher RAM; audio playback with speakers for programs with video content
For assistance: Contact educme@psych.org for questions about this activity | Contact learningcenter@psych.org for technical assistance