As of: February 27, 2024, 8:09 p.m
By: Giorgia Grimaldi
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Expensive and useless or future of medicine?
Experts explain why we need more information about digital health applications.
“The development of digital health apps is still in its early stages,” explains Prof. Dr.
Christoph Straub, CEO of Barmer health insurance, the presentation of the 2024 medical report on February 27th in Berlin.
The focus is on digital health applications (DiGA).
Prescription apps that doctors can prescribe to their patients for various complaints such as depression, obesity or diabetes and are paid for by health insurance companies.
Although the digital health applications have “not fully arrived in healthcare,” the development to date can be viewed as positive, according to the expert.
Barmer's conclusion is therefore significantly more positive than that of the umbrella association of statutory health insurance companies (GKV).
He published a report at the beginning of the year.
Accordingly, most digital health apps are not only too expensive, but also useless.
Patients don’t use apps properly
There are too many applications that, despite being included in the statutory service catalog of the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM), have not been able to demonstrate any benefit for patients, according to the GKV report.
According to GKV, the app manufacturers have only demonstrated a positive effect for patients in every fifth digital application, such as medical improvement or more regular medication intake.
When asked by
BuzzFeed News Germany , an
Ippen.Media
portal
, how Barmer feels about the results of the GKV report, Straub replied: “The expected benefit only occurs if everyone adheres to the indication-based application.
However, many patients do not use the application for the entire 90-day period.
The health insurance companies would still have to pay for the full period.
According to the GKV, the sum since the DiGA was introduced in 2020 has been 113 million euros.
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BuzzFeed News Germany
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More on the topic of health: ENT doctor explains why the nose scarf is “complete nonsense”.
“Further increase expected” – generational change among insured people and doctors
Nevertheless, DiGAs have “a lot of potential,” says Straub, especially in the case of chronic diseases, “every impulse of interaction with the disease has an important therapeutic effect.”
“False expectations” due to poor use of the application can be countered with more transparency and information sharing.
On the one hand, the health insurance manager sees the treating doctors as having a duty towards their patients, but also the BfArM, which should provide doctors with more information about the individual applications.
Especially considering the demographics.
DiGA has not yet reached all population groups.
This may be due to skepticism among the older generations, according to the author of the doctor's report, Prof. Joachim Szecsenyi.
“Both those treating and those being treated.”
According to Barmer, over 80 percent of the doctors surveyed have never prescribed a DiGA.
But that will change.
“A generational change is coming.
A young generation is growing up with apps, so the willingness and competence to interactively deal with an illness will also increase.
Digital health apps have not yet reached all population groups.
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More on the topic: Electronic files as early as 2025? The next doctor app is in the starting blocks
Experts and users agree: Apps are good support
Nevertheless, digital health applications should not be “overestimated”.
Szecsenyi explains: “DiGA are more of a co-therapeutic agent to support and bridge gaps in care.
To see what effects they have and whether they justify the high costs, you have to observe them over a long period of time.”
A user reported something similar to
BuzzFeed News Germany.
Anja uses a DiGA to combat stress and burnout.
“The app alone can’t get you out if you’re already in really deep,” she explains.
“But it’s good support.”