Digital health tools can transform healthcare for the prevention, treatment, and management of neurological conditions.
Verdict has conducted a poll to analyse which digital health tool holds the most potential for the treatment of neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, and pain.
Digital therapeutics was voted by a majority 30% of the respondents as the most potential tool, while 26% voted for wearables or digital biomarkers.
Further, 18% voted for virtual and augmented reality, 15% for mobile applications, and 11% for telemedicine.
The analysis is based on 182 responses received from the readers of Pharmaceutical Technology, a Verdict network site, between 02 February and 12 April 2021.
Digital health tools for treating neurological conditions
The rising demand for high-quality outcomes has increased the need for digital therapeutics in the clinical field. The COVID-19 pandemic has further increased the adoption of remote health technologies such as telemedicine in neurosciences that have even received a recommendation from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Virtual reality-based interventions, for example, can help in creating interactive exercises for improving memory and spatial cognition. Further, iPad-based training applications can help in speech and language rehabilitation in patients with aphasia.
Evidence supporting the clinical efficacy of these digital therapeutics is, however, lacking. Furthermore, challenges such as patient preferences, privacy issues, and overregulation or lack of regulation are the major roadblocks in the widespread adoption of these tools for disease management, according to a study conducted by Korea Health Industry Development Institute.
