(Source: https://hitconsultant.net/) by Siobhán Harty, Digital Health Scientist at SilverCloud Health, a part of Amwell
Throughout the pandemic, digital health companies have seen significant growth, with one study finding that U.S.-based digital health startups surpassed $29 billion in 2021, almost twice the funding seen in 2020. When done correctly, the use of these digital innovations can help people reduce the burden of dealing with mental health challenges by providing accessible, affordable, and timely care to users. As digital mental health interventions (DMHI) continue to battle it out for a leading spot in this growing market, it’s imperative for stakeholders like employers, health systems, and health plans to carefully evaluate each available solution.
Unfortunately, many digital mental health companies make false promises to their users, backing up their solutions with misleading claims that are not clinically validated and rooted in evidence-based research. A recent review of 293 apps for anxiety and depression found only 6% of companies claiming to use evidence-based frameworks in their product descriptions had published evidence supporting their effectiveness. Related research has also revealed that there is no correlation between app store metrics, such as star ratings and downloads, and more clinically relevant metrics relating to effectiveness and engagement.
Read the full article on https://hitconsultant.net/2022/11/17/evaluating-evidence-base-in-digital-health-solutions/
