From period and sleep trackers to mental health chatbots and digital weight loss diaries, there’s no shortage of wellness apps out there that aim to help us better understand our health. But there have also been concerns about the misuse of data collected by some apps. Indeed, a recent report from University College London and King’s College London warned that the users of dozens of female health monitoring apps are being subjected to “unnecessary privacy and safety risks through poor data handling practices”.
Against this backdrop, the developers of a new generation of health technology called digital therapeutics have had to be especially mindful of privacy concerns. Digital therapeutics uses software to deliver clinically approved treatments right to the patient’s mobile device or laptop. Unlike off-the-shelf wellbeing apps and fitness trackers, they undergo rigorous testing and approval processes.
