[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":361},["ShallowReactive",2],{"slug-here-is-how-you-get-friendly-with-a-i-before-it-gets-to-the-office":3},{"post":4,"relatedPosts":155,"relatedBooks":283},{"id":5,"date":6,"date_gmt":7,"guid":8,"modified":10,"modified_gmt":11,"slug":12,"status":13,"type":14,"link":15,"title":16,"content":18,"excerpt":21,"author":23,"featured_media":24,"comment_status":25,"ping_status":25,"sticky":26,"template":27,"format":28,"meta":29,"categories":30,"tags":33,"project_category":39,"contact_email_category":40,"yst_prominent_words":41,"class_list":45,"better_featured_image":59,"acf":90,"yoast_meta":100,"_links":102},47495,"2022-10-11T10:00:00","2022-10-11T08:00:00",{"rendered":9},"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002F?post_id=47495&_wpnonce=78901681de&status=auto-draft&type=post","2022-10-11T00:38:18","2022-10-10T22:38:18","here-is-how-you-get-friendly-with-a-i-before-it-gets-to-the-office","publish","post","https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fhere-is-how-you-get-friendly-with-a-i-before-it-gets-to-the-office",{"rendered":17},"Here Is How You Get Friendly With A.I. Before It Gets To The Office",{"rendered":19,"protected":20},"\n\u003Cp>If you ask a random person whether they use artificial intelligence in their everyday lives, the answer will likely be a firm negative. However, this answer is incorrect: most of us use it a good number of times every day. A.I. is everywhere around us, it just doesn’t look like the mental picture we have, which usually resembles T-1000 from Terminator 2: Judgement Day or the Borg Queen from the Star Trek series. Ugly, evil, and almost omnipotent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-style-default\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F10\u002Fvilaggazdasag_the_Borg_Queen_and_T-1000_from_Terminator_2_in_on_0e9a3e05-e6a3-4994-8fb2-5f709c019d7b-768x768.png\" alt=\"AI generated art from Midjourney algorithm\" class=\"wp-image-47499\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F10\u002Fvilaggazdasag_the_Borg_Queen_and_T-1000_from_Terminator_2_in_on_0e9a3e05-e6a3-4994-8fb2-5f709c019d7b-768x768.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F10\u002Fvilaggazdasag_the_Borg_Queen_and_T-1000_from_Terminator_2_in_on_0e9a3e05-e6a3-4994-8fb2-5f709c019d7b-150x150.png 150w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F10\u002Fvilaggazdasag_the_Borg_Queen_and_T-1000_from_Terminator_2_in_on_0e9a3e05-e6a3-4994-8fb2-5f709c019d7b.png 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003Cfigcaption>All images in this article were generated by Midjourney, a text-to-art algorithm. This was its take on \u003Cbr>“The Borg Queen and T-1000 from Terminator 2 in one picture”\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Most of us use A.I. all the time: when navigating through the town with an app, when opening a social media platform and scrolling through its recommendations, browsing on an online marketplace, interacting with a chatbot or talking to Siri\u002FAlexa\u002FGoogle. There are algorithms everywhere, we just don’t recognise them as artificial intelligence, although this is what they are. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>However, things will not stop at this point, and in the coming decades, we will have to form a deeper relationship with A.I. as it will become a prominent part of our daily lives on a more active level. In the healthcare setting, for example, we can be assured that A.I. will become a member of the care team – so we better figure out how to deal with it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A.I. will take over repetitive and data-based tasks and will transform your work\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>It is easy to determine how not to relate to this upcoming new era. Getting paralysed with desperation “A.I. will take my job and there is nothing I can do about it” (potentially with mental pictures of ending up under a bridge) is not the way. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Ok, so how to relate? First, make it clear: yes, A.I. will take over many, many tasks from humans. And it will execute them faster, better, and cheaper. Tasks that are\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\u003Cli>data-based\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>repetitive\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>will be taken over by algorithms, whatever your line of work is. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>This process will not be materially different from what we experienced with multiple technological revolutions centuries or decades ago. Computers took over a good number of tasks from humans – accountants don’t have to do all the calculus for a giant firm on a notebook with a pencil anymore, but computers did not take the work of accountants, they lent advanced computational skills to them. Computers also created new jobs, jobs we never knew in 1980 would exist in a few decades.  \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>A similar shift is expected with algorithms and machines becoming better at certain tasks. A nurse might not need to do the blood draw in the future – machines will do it better -, or try and move heavy patients alone while changing their sheets. But this will not eliminate the need for nurses, it will transform what and how they do. They will probably have more time to empathically respond to patients, more time to talk about their cases and help them understand how to manage their conditions. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Learn to deal with A.I. now, in a non-commital way\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>To prepare for the future, the best we can do is to familiarise ourselves with how artificial intelligence works – outside of our professional lives. This, again, will be a cultural transformation, and it is much better to learn it before it gets to the office. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Midjourney, the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.pcworld.com\u002Farticle\u002F820518\u002Fmidjourneys-ai-art-goes-live-for-everyone.html\">text-to-art image algorithm\u003C\u002Fa> is a good example. Granted, you need to have (or register) a discord account to use it, but after that, you are free to play with it for a while, get a grasp of how it “thinks”, and what is the best way to interact with it to get the result you imagined. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>I wanted to see if Midjourney can generate a picture of a futuristic hospital, so I told it what I typically tell our graphic designers with a task like that: I’d like a picture and the topic should be “\u003Cem>futuristic, hospital, doctors, AI\u003C\u002Fem>”.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Well, Midjourney certainly needs more details than Adam, our lead designer, as this is what I got at the first go:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized is-style-default\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F10\u002Fthe-first-4-results-of-AI-drawing.jpg\" alt=\"Futuristic doctors from the text to art algorithm Midjourney\" class=\"wp-image-47509\" width=\"804\" height=\"641\"\u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Apart from the interesting fact that futuristic doctors seem to be exclusively caucasian females in Midjourney’s books, this was quite far from the results I wanted to see. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>So I went on and defined the task better: “\u003Cem>A hospital environment with patients, beds, healthcare devices, where doctors, patients and robots work together in a futuristic hospital setting.\u003C\u002Fem>” One of the 4 results seemed to get closer to my concept, so asked Midjourney to refine the fourth picture, and we ended up with this: \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-style-default\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F10\u002FAI-generated-image-about-a-futuristic-hospital-setting-768x768.png\" alt=\"Futuristic hospital scene from the text-to-art algorithm Midjourney\" class=\"wp-image-47511\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F10\u002FAI-generated-image-about-a-futuristic-hospital-setting-768x768.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F10\u002FAI-generated-image-about-a-futuristic-hospital-setting-150x150.png 150w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F10\u002FAI-generated-image-about-a-futuristic-hospital-setting.png 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>As this was still quite far from what I originally had in my mind – an \u003Ca class=\"img\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpenji.co\u002Fisometric-design\u002F\">isometric \u003C\u002Fa>scene of a futuristic hospital, full of patients, devices, human and non-human personnel, something like \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fdatapopalliance.org\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F05\u002FEthics-AI-blog.jpg\"\u003C\u002Fa>this\u003C\u002Fa> or \u003Ca class=\"img\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fdeveloper-blogs.nvidia.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F06\u002FNVIDIA-Clara-Guardian-featured.png\"\u003C\u002Fa>this \u003C\u002Fa>– I tried to define the task even better, asking Midjourney to imagine an “\u003Cem>isometric image of a futuristic hospital building suit with patients in beds, machines, healthcare devices, human doctors and robots working together with AI\u003C\u002Fem>”. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Results this time got further from my mental picture, they were neither  isometric nor grasped the buzzing futuristic hospital scene I wanted to see: \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized is-style-default\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F10\u002Fvilaggazdasag_isometric_image_of_a_futuristic_hospital_building_8097d939-5a17-41ff-842a-4dc2b16d519e.png\" alt=\"Neither isometric, nor buzzing image from text to art algorithm Midjourney\" class=\"wp-image-47507\" width=\"772\" height=\"772\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F10\u002Fvilaggazdasag_isometric_image_of_a_futuristic_hospital_building_8097d939-5a17-41ff-842a-4dc2b16d519e.png 512w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F10\u002Fvilaggazdasag_isometric_image_of_a_futuristic_hospital_building_8097d939-5a17-41ff-842a-4dc2b16d519e-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 772px) 100vw, 772px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Ok, one last go before you get super bored with my imaginary science fiction hospital. I tried to define the task much better, by breaking my initial mental picture into shorter and simpler sentences and stressing the missing details. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>So it went: “\u003Cem>buzzing hospital emergency unit setting with many people in the picture. There are several patients in hospital beds. Lots of medical machines and devices. Several human doctors and human nurses. Also working with medical robots and A.I. Futuristic setting\u003C\u002Fem>.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Looks like this did not help a lot, while each of the four images incorporated some new details, none of them incorporated all of it. There are many hospital beds in the first one, a good number of healthcare workers in the second one, a robot in the third, and a sort-of-buzzing emergency unit in the last one. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized is-style-default\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F10\u002Fvilaggazdasag_buzzing_hospital_emergency_unit_setting_with_many_a559e934-f7ae-4a24-923b-a88a8da86c0e.png\" alt=\"Text to art AI Midjourney hospital scenes\" class=\"wp-image-47505\" width=\"763\" height=\"763\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F10\u002Fvilaggazdasag_buzzing_hospital_emergency_unit_setting_with_many_a559e934-f7ae-4a24-923b-a88a8da86c0e.png 512w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F10\u002Fvilaggazdasag_buzzing_hospital_emergency_unit_setting_with_many_a559e934-f7ae-4a24-923b-a88a8da86c0e-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 763px) 100vw, 763px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>I’m not sure how long I have to keep trying to redefine the task until I eventually get there, I suppose I will exhaust the free limit of 25 tries before I succeed in my quest. But all these queries helped me understand slightly better how this particular algorithm thinks and adjust my thinking to it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>I will take a break from Midjourney for now and will get back in a little while, trying to figure out how to get to the result I want to see. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Is it good or useful? – you might ask. Well, yes and no. No in a way that we obviously can’t use Midjourney to generate images for publication – apart from this article. Also no in a way that after a number of tries – not all are documented above – I didn’t even get close to the picture I wanted to see.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>On the other hand, it was useful. It helped me think about my thinking process. It helped me think about the algorithm’s thinking. It was interesting to see how it gets to a visual answer and what kinds of answers it provides. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Be curious and never stop playing with new technologies\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The above examples with Midjourney show how un-straightforward it is to use a text-to-art application – said to be the best at the moment – to make it generate the picture you want. However, it also shows that it can come up with many things, and some of these might surprise you. This is, what the algorithm thinks an overworked nurse looks like: \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized is-style-default\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F10\u002Fvilaggazdasag_an_overworked_nurse_in_a_hopsital_tending_for_pat_cc67d6f4-77ba-48dc-affc-79dccd29519c.png\" alt=\"Overworked nurse depicted by text to art  Midjourney\" class=\"wp-image-47503\" width=\"743\" height=\"743\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F10\u002Fvilaggazdasag_an_overworked_nurse_in_a_hopsital_tending_for_pat_cc67d6f4-77ba-48dc-affc-79dccd29519c.png 512w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F10\u002Fvilaggazdasag_an_overworked_nurse_in_a_hopsital_tending_for_pat_cc67d6f4-77ba-48dc-affc-79dccd29519c-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 743px) 100vw, 743px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Quite some pieces of socio-documenting art, aren’t they?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>So I urge you to stay curious and open-minded, and grab the opportunities to play around with algorithms, should it be Midjourney, the A.I. in your favourite game, or the chatbots you interact with. Get as comfortable with them as possible and form a “relationship”, as you will need it in a few years and decades. And never think you will be left behind, instead focus on how it will enhance what you are capable of doing. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Although I was dead-set on pushing out a header image of the algorithm, my first attempts on a “\u003Cem>16:9 ratio image of a human doctor and an A.I. doctor shaking hands in the hospital\u003C\u002Fem>” ended up with quite disturbing results (and a square image format – note: you need to use aspect ratio or the –ar command). Even if we skip the confusing faces, it is slightly unsettling how Midjourney seemed to take the “shaking hands” part a little too literally. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-style-default\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F10\u002Fvilaggazdasag_A_human_doctor_and_an_AI_doctor_shaking_hands_in__d65ed142-2785-4fdd-902c-ec62d08d1cb7-768x768.png\" alt=\"Shaking hands a little too literally by the Midjourney text to art algorithm\" class=\"wp-image-47497\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F10\u002Fvilaggazdasag_A_human_doctor_and_an_AI_doctor_shaking_hands_in__d65ed142-2785-4fdd-902c-ec62d08d1cb7-768x768.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F10\u002Fvilaggazdasag_A_human_doctor_and_an_AI_doctor_shaking_hands_in__d65ed142-2785-4fdd-902c-ec62d08d1cb7-150x150.png 150w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F10\u002Fvilaggazdasag_A_human_doctor_and_an_AI_doctor_shaking_hands_in__d65ed142-2785-4fdd-902c-ec62d08d1cb7.png 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>So, to be on the safe side, I stuck with a simple command of “\u003Cem>doctor in a futuristic hospital with a big AI terminal\u003C\u002Fem> –ar 16:9″, this is the header image of this article. Pretty not bad, right? \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>All in all, good job, algorithm, it was fun to work with you! \u003C\u002Fp>\n",false,{"rendered":22,"protected":20},"\u003Cp>To prepare for the future, the best we can do is to familiarise ourselves with how artificial intelligence works – outside of our professional lives. This, again, will be a cultural transformation, and it is much better to learn it before it gets to the office. \u003C\u002Fp>\n",6,47525,"closed",true,"","standard",{"_acf_changed":20,"footnotes":27},[31,32],7079,504,[34,35,36,37,38],7667,7669,134,137,144,[],[],[42,43,44],1715,2607,1661,[46,14,47,48,49,50,51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58],"post-47495","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tmf","category-artificial-intelligence","tag-text-to-art","tag-midjourney","tag-ai","tag-algorithm","tag-artificial-intelligence",{"id":24,"alt_text":27,"caption":27,"description":27,"media_type":60,"media_details":61,"post":5,"source_url":89},"image",{"width":62,"height":63,"file":64,"sizes":65,"image_meta":87},1792,1024,"2022\u002F10\u002Fvilaggazdasag_doctor_in_a_futuristic_hospital_with_a_big_AI_ter_ea52b551-7fa6-47b4-ae20-7168324bda74.png",{"medium":66,"large":72,"thumbnail":77,"medium_large":81,"1536x1536":82},{"file":67,"width":68,"height":69,"mime-type":70,"source_url":71},"vilaggazdasag_doctor_in_a_futuristic_hospital_with_a_big_AI_ter_ea52b551-7fa6-47b4-ae20-7168324bda74-370x208.png","370","208","image\u002Fpng","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F10\u002Fvilaggazdasag_doctor_in_a_futuristic_hospital_with_a_big_AI_ter_ea52b551-7fa6-47b4-ae20-7168324bda74-370x208.png",{"file":73,"width":74,"height":75,"mime-type":70,"source_url":76},"vilaggazdasag_doctor_in_a_futuristic_hospital_with_a_big_AI_ter_ea52b551-7fa6-47b4-ae20-7168324bda74-768x439.png","768","439","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F10\u002Fvilaggazdasag_doctor_in_a_futuristic_hospital_with_a_big_AI_ter_ea52b551-7fa6-47b4-ae20-7168324bda74-768x439.png",{"file":78,"width":79,"height":79,"mime-type":70,"source_url":80},"vilaggazdasag_doctor_in_a_futuristic_hospital_with_a_big_AI_ter_ea52b551-7fa6-47b4-ae20-7168324bda74-150x150.png","150","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F10\u002Fvilaggazdasag_doctor_in_a_futuristic_hospital_with_a_big_AI_ter_ea52b551-7fa6-47b4-ae20-7168324bda74-150x150.png",{"file":73,"width":74,"height":75,"mime-type":70,"source_url":76},{"file":83,"width":84,"height":85,"mime-type":70,"source_url":86},"vilaggazdasag_doctor_in_a_futuristic_hospital_with_a_big_AI_ter_ea52b551-7fa6-47b4-ae20-7168324bda74-1536x878.png","1536","878","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F10\u002Fvilaggazdasag_doctor_in_a_futuristic_hospital_with_a_big_AI_ter_ea52b551-7fa6-47b4-ae20-7168324bda74-1536x878.png",{"aperture":88,"credit":27,"camera":27,"caption":27,"created_timestamp":88,"copyright":27,"focal_length":88,"iso":88,"shutter_speed":88,"title":27,"orientation":88},"0","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F10\u002Fvilaggazdasag_doctor_in_a_futuristic_hospital_with_a_big_AI_ter_ea52b551-7fa6-47b4-ae20-7168324bda74.png",{"cta_type":91,"cta_color":27,"related_books":92,"related_posts_footer":96,"related_posts":20,"subtitle":27},"subscribe",[93,94,95],24762,30419,47427,[97,98,99],39279,47451,47437,{"yoast_wpseo_title":17,"yoast_wpseo_metadesc":101,"yoast_wpseo_canonical":15},"To prepare for the future, the best we can do is to familiarise ourselves with how artificial intelligence works - outside of our professional lives.",{"self":103,"collection":109,"about":112,"author":115,"replies":118,"version-history":121,"predecessor-version":125,"wp:featuredmedia":129,"wp:attachment":132,"wp:term":135,"curies":151},[104],{"href":105,"targetHints":106},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F47495",{"allow":107},[108],"GET",[110],{"href":111},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts",[113],{"href":114},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Ftypes\u002Fpost",[116],{"embeddable":26,"href":117},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fusers\u002F6",[119],{"embeddable":26,"href":120},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcomments?post=47495",[122],{"count":123,"href":124},10,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F47495\u002Frevisions",[126],{"id":127,"href":128},47565,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F47495\u002Frevisions\u002F47565",[130],{"embeddable":26,"href":131},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia\u002F47525",[133],{"href":134},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia?parent=47495",[136,139,142,145,148],{"taxonomy":137,"embeddable":26,"href":138},"category","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcategories?post=47495",{"taxonomy":140,"embeddable":26,"href":141},"post_tag","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Ftags?post=47495",{"taxonomy":143,"embeddable":26,"href":144},"project_category","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fproject_category?post=47495",{"taxonomy":146,"embeddable":26,"href":147},"contact_email_category","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcontact_email_category?post=47495",{"taxonomy":149,"embeddable":26,"href":150},"yst_prominent_words","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fyst_prominent_words?post=47495",[152],{"name":153,"href":154,"templated":26},"wp","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.w.org\u002F{rel}",[156],{"id":99,"date":157,"date_gmt":158,"guid":159,"modified":161,"modified_gmt":162,"slug":163,"status":13,"type":14,"link":164,"title":165,"content":167,"excerpt":169,"author":23,"featured_media":171,"comment_status":25,"ping_status":25,"sticky":26,"template":27,"format":28,"meta":172,"categories":173,"tags":176,"project_category":184,"contact_email_category":187,"yst_prominent_words":188,"class_list":193,"better_featured_image":206,"acf":232,"yoast_meta":239,"_links":241},"2022-10-04T10:00:00","2022-10-04T08:00:00",{"rendered":160},"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002F?post_id=47437&_wpnonce=80e8e9dcab&status=auto-draft&type=post","2022-10-04T09:43:40","2022-10-04T07:43:40","diga-how-germany-channeled-digital-health-apps-into-its-healthcare-system","https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fdiga-how-germany-channeled-digital-health-apps-into-its-healthcare-system",{"rendered":166},"DiGA: How Germany Channeled Digital Health Apps Into Its Healthcare System",{"rendered":168,"protected":20},"\n\u003Cp>Digital health applications and solutions are increasingly becoming part of our healthcare experience. Partially because they offer fast and convenient solutions for problems arising from capacity shortages of the traditional medical systems (like skin checking apps), or because they enhance the capabilities of doctors, medical personnel, or hospitals (like sepsis watch algorithms or A.I. diagnostics models).\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>While these apps are available in a large number of medical specialities, channelling them into state-run healthcare systems to harness the benefits on population-wide scales is challenging. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Germany’s DiGA system tackles this issue with a model that is worth a detailed analysis. DiGA stands for \u003Cstrong>Di\u003C\u002Fstrong>gitale \u003Cstrong>G\u003C\u002Fstrong>esundheits\u003Cstrong>a\u003C\u002Fstrong>nwendung or Digital Health Applications in English. We dived deep into this model with the valuable help of: \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\u003Cli>Dr. Anne Sophie Geier – Managing Director of the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fdigitalversorgt.de\u002F?lang=en\">German Digital Healthcare Association\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>Inga Bergen – Healthcare Innovation Facilitator & Podcast Host “\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fvisionaere-gesundheit.de\u002F\">Visionäre der Gesundheit\u003C\u002Fa>“\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>Hauke Rienhoff – Chief Commercial Officer –\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.orthopy.de\u002F\"> Orthopy Health GmbH\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>Lennart Dörwald – CEO & Co-Founder – \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.orthopy.de\u002F\">Orthopy Health GmbH\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How does the DiGA system work?\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>For DiGAs the German lawmakers have developed an innovative and new legal foundation: the Digital Healthcare Act, passed in December 2019. Based on the new law, 73 million Germans covered by statutory health insurance (approximately 90% of the total population) are now entitled to use DiGAs, provided they have a prescription or an attested diagnosis. In a nutshell, this essentially means that digital healthcare has made it into primary care and is here to stay. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Col class=\"wp-block-list\">\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Apps on prescription, costs reimbursed by all statutory health insurers\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Fol>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Simply speaking, DiGAs are “apps on prescription”. DiGAs are digital health applications that can be prescribed by doctors for patient use for a variety of diagnoses. The introduction of DiGAs is quite revolutionary, and Germany has officially introduced a legal framework to include digital health care innovation into primary care. Not only it is possible to use the approved apps with a prescription, but all statutory health insurers reimburse the associated DiGA costs in Germany, with prices negotiated in advance with the umbrella association of German health insurance companies (as opposed to with each individual insurance company) – explains Dr Anna Sophie Geiger, Managing Director of the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fdigitalversorgt.de\u002F?lang=en\">German Digital Healthcare Association\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Existing DiGAs range from the treatment of mental health issues to the rehabilitation of orthopaedic injuries and the guiding of cancer treatments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Col class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"2\">\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Treated as medical devices\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Fol>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>As opposed to conventional “lifestyle and well-being apps”, DiGAs are treated as medical devices for use for risk categories I and IIa and undergo a rigorous certification process to enter the market. Steps for certification are overseen by the German Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (or BfArM in short). Prerequisites include medical device CE certification as well as additional requirements including proven medical evidence, quality management systems, and data protection. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Col class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"3\">\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>A clear framework for reimbursements\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Fol>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Once a health application is granted an official DiGA certification from the regulatory body, practitioners can prescribe them to their patients. DiGA prescriptions work very much like prescriptions for drugs or therapeutic appliances, in the sense that a prescription form is completed and handed to the patient, who can then submit the form to his or her health insurer. The health insurance company in turn provides an access code to the app for the patient. Statutory health insurers reimburse the associated DiGA costs in Germany, with prices negotiated in advance with the umbrella association of German health insurance companies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Col class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"4\">\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Preliminary and permanent certificates\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Fol>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>It is important to highlight that there are two levels of DiGA approval: preliminary and permanent, and app developers can choose which approval level to aim for. The preliminary approval, valid for one year only, is slightly easier to obtain and requires pre-data but not excessive clinical study data – Dr Geiger says. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>During this temporary listing phase, market entry is allowed. Within the one-year period covered by the temporary approval, developers can build their case for a permanent listing provided they can collate the medical evidence for permanent level approval. If sufficient data cannot be shown, the listing is then revoked. The preliminary approval path is often chosen by startups. If sufficient data is already available, e.g., from previous clinical trials, the developer can also apply directly for permanent listing approval. This path is often chosen by more established companies with more available resources.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-style-default\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"764\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F09\u002FDIGA-Germany-768x764.jpg\" alt=\"Germany DIGA system for digital health apps\" class=\"wp-image-47441\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F09\u002FDIGA-Germany-768x764.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F09\u002FDIGA-Germany-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F09\u002FDIGA-Germany.jpg 987w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Currently, there are 33 DiGAs listed on the official BfArM registry: 13 are permanent and 20 are preliminarily listed. All applications that receive DiGA approval are subject to an initial peer review by BfArM, which evaluates aspects such as randomisation methods, patient recruitment, selected endpoints, and any quantitative analysis. Others can subsequently review the data and clinical studies once published by the developer. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fhellobetter.de\u002Fen\u002F\">HelloBetter\u003C\u002Fa> for example, a Hamburg\u002FBerlin-based “grown-up”, holds approvals for DiGAs covering a variety of mental health indications (diabetes, depression, panic attacks, etc.), and their peer-reviewed clinical studies are available to the general public through their website.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A unique process to pave the way\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The DiGA concept is quite unique in many ways: \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Col class=\"wp-block-list\">\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>The Certification process: faster and cheaper without compromising safety\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Fol>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The BfArM (the German Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices) outlines clear and very transparent guidelines on how to obtain DiGA certification. The whole process is divided into several small steps. The certification process is far from easy, but becomes more manageable and predictable, especially for startups. The DiGA fast-track reduces the time to market significantly, without compromising any safety aspects for patients.  \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Col class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"2\">\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>The Reimbursement: one deal covers all \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Fol>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>All statutory health insurance companies reimburse DiGA costs so there is no cost to the practitioner or patient, thereby allowing for less complexity and bureaucracy and stronger predictability in insurance coverage for DiGA developers. As a result, this replaces the past practice of negotiating selective contracts with up to 50+ different health insurance companies just to gain market entry or apply for reimbursement. The only hurdle as of now is the approval from BfArM. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Col class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"3\">\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Central registry: one easy-to-use central reference database\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Fol>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>There are thousands of “health apps” available in today’s app stores. As a practitioner or patient, how do I know which app provides actual medical benefits? How do I know which app protects sensitive data? The official DiGA registry of BfArM provides this guidance. The registry is regularly updated and represents a single source of information for all parties involved: practitioners, patients, and insurers alike. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Col class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"4\">\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Process speed: fast track process for the preliminary listing \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Fol>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Bringing a medical device or a drug to market often takes years if not decades. While clinical trials occupy a portion of this time, efficiencies can be made elsewhere in other aspects of the certification process. The DiGA ‘fast-track’ attempts to address this without compromising safety and quality standards. While DiGAs are treated as having lower risk relative to drugs and other medical devices, the requirements to become a DiGA are nonetheless strict and becoming even more so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Germany is the guinea pig for digital health regulations\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Germany’s DiGA framework has raised a lot of interest in other European countries and even further abroad. It is incredibly difficult to change legislation in healthcare, with regulatory processes often hampering any legislative change. Despite the surging interest, it will likely take years for uniform legislation to be implemented. In addition, the cost factor is a significant reason for slow adoption. As of now, Germany is essentially the “guinea pig”, and other countries are observing closely how the DiGA evolution will take place in the short term.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n\u003Ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"DiGA Fast Track - explained by Dr. Henrik Matthies, hih\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fembed\u002FO7Hkc6jMa9E?start=93&feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen>\u003C\u002Fiframe>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\u003Cfigcaption>If you are interested in the detailed working of the DiGA system, click over to this video\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>There are, however, some fast followers. France for example will publish a DiGA-like framework by the end of this year. On a European level, a new task force was also recently founded with the goal of pursuing and harmonising evaluation procedures for patient-centred digital medical devices (DMDs) within the European Union.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Startups benefit from the fast-track model\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Sometimes innovation needs a little push. The country had a previous system (pre-DiGA), which, with its tedious processes wasn’t really startup-friendly. Only larger MedTech or Pharma companies had the resources to pursue years of clinical trials and navigate the bureaucracy behind the certification processes. To be honest, large-size corporates are not known for fast innovation. Startups can be more penetrative, agile, and fast-moving particularly in the context of seeking and obtaining their listing status. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“The advantage of the fast-track model, therefore, provides the attraction and opportunity for new entrants to establish themselves in the market without being slowed by financial difficulty, data, health regulatory restrictions, and other obstacles. Ultimately, it allows startups to focus directly on the testing of their hypotheses for their products and services without external interruption” – Hauke Rienhoff, the Chief Commercial Officer of \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.orthopy.de\u002F\">Orthopy Health GmbH\u003C\u002Fa> explains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“We, as Orthopy Health, would have not tried to enter the German health care market if it wasn’t for the DiGA fast-track model. We are currently at the end of our first clinical trials and will likely apply for preliminary approval early next year. The fast-track process gave us structure.”- added Lennart Dörwald, CEO & Co-Founder of Orthopy. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“What makes us believe in DiGA and the fast-track model? Our own founding story: \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Lenny, one of our co-founders, has torn his cruciate ligament in his knee twice in his life. A torn ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) is a common sports injury, which in most cases gets fixed through surgery, followed up by 9-12 months of rehabilitation. Lenny experienced the care breaches, if not gaps, in the current standard of care firsthand. He was missing guidance when transitioning from the stationary to the ambulant setting. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-style-default\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F08\u002Ftmf_article_eliminating-waiting-times-hospital-768x432.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-47078\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F08\u002Ftmf_article_eliminating-waiting-times-hospital-768x432.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F08\u002Ftmf_article_eliminating-waiting-times-hospital-370x208.png 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F08\u002Ftmf_article_eliminating-waiting-times-hospital.png 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Physiotherapy before the surgery wasn’t an option and post-surgery came with waiting times. Often, he felt insecure and left alone during his treatment path. That’s where the idea came for a digital therapy companion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Luckily, his friend Torben, also Co-Founder, knew all about the DiGA fast-track model and convinced Lenny to give it a shot. You could go as far as to say Lenny and Torben did patient-driven innovation. Quickly they brought Max on board and the founding team was complete.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Today, patients use our digital health app, Orthopy, during their therapy. They inform themselves about their injury and treatment path through our patient education section. They use our quality-approved training plans pre- and post-surgery with guided exercises, and they keep track of their progress through our embedded analytics. We firmly believe this type of innovation would have not been possible without the introduction of DiGAs and the complementary fast-track.” \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">40,000 access codes by three insurers in the first half of 2022\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>With the influence of apps in our daily lives, the emergence of apps focusing on medical health is increasingly inevitable, and this extends to the DiGA ecosystem. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In the first half of 2022, the three largest health insurance companies (Techniker Krankenkasse, Barmer, and AOK) \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002F12ft.io\u002Fproxy?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.handelsblatt.com%2Finside%2Fdigital_health%2Fdigitale-gesundheitsanwendungen-diga-markt-waechst-im-ersten-halbjahr-2022%2F28496184.html\">handed out around 40,000 DiGA access codes to their customers\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>This indicates that while DiGAs are in their early stages and relatively new to the medical industry, public awareness, patient interest and trust continue to grow and the potential is strong. Not surprisingly, some DiGA startups have already joined forces and built joint marketing campaigns to raise awareness for DiGAs in the wider public. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The simple idea that the future patient can have relevant treatments conducted and safely monitored in a paperless fashion is entirely a possibility, provided some existing barriers can be broken. A simple example is, why would you need a paper-based prescription just to access an entirely digital health product or service? Hopefully, e-prescriptions could be a future solution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mental health and orthopaedic apps lead the way \u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The majority of current DiGAs, are in the “mental health” category for diagnoses such as depression, burnout, and anxiety. This is particularly so due to therapeutic care gaps within the mental health area. Access to personal psychotherapeutic treatment resources is limited and waiting times can be extremely long to the detriment of the patient. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>DiGAs offer an excellent interim solution to bridge this time gap for milder cases. Also, orthopaedic DiGAs for acute injuries or chronic pain, are popular. The build-up of the training plans and exercise execution in such orthopaedic DiGAs is in essence quite like that of conventional fitness app programs that people are already familiar with. There are plenty of other therapeutic areas where patients can use DiGAs and hopefully even more will follow soon. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-style-default\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F07\u002Ftmf_article_279-01-768x432.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-35099\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F07\u002Ftmf_article_279-01-768x432.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F07\u002Ftmf_article_279-01-370x208.png 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F07\u002Ftmf_article_279-01-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F07\u002Ftmf_article_279-01.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The number of listed DiGAs and their usage is steadily increasing. Most DiGA developers are young companies and have focused on passing the regulatory demands. The biggest challenge they currently face is access to the patient. We observe DiGA providers testing different market access models here – from building up a sales force to partnering with pharmaceutical companies for distribution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Applications can lose their DiGA status if they cannot prove positive care effects. There are many reasons why clinical studies can fail, such as a difficult study design or problems with recruiting enough patients. In addition, BfArM standards for approval have changed over time, and this can affect the ability of startups to meet the appropriate approval criteria. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Positive care effects are the focus, and financial savings will come\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“The DiGA system focuses on providing “positive care effects” rather than financial savings. Positive care effects are defined either as a medical benefit or a patient-relevant improvement of structure and processes in healthcare. Ultimately, we believe that by providing such positive care effects, long-term costs will decrease” – says Inga Bergen, Healthcare Innovation Facilitator & Host of “\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fvisionaere-gesundheit.de\u002F\">Visionäre der Gesundheit\u003C\u002Fa>“ (~ Health Visionaries) podcast. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“As an example, if patient usage of a particular DiGA results in recovery or symptom reduction at a rate faster than existing methods, then the expectation is that the associated costs (e.g., statutory sick pay) will in turn also fall.” – she added.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Generally, FDA leads the way in regulating digital health and the regulatory bodies of other countries are just trying to follow their lead. It’s now great to see a European country showing a framework that can be used in practice and that might be a better fit for the European healthcare systems.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"rendered":170,"protected":20},"\u003Cp>Channelling digital health apps into state-run healthcare systems to harness the benefits on population-wide scales is challenging. This is how Germany tackled the issue. \u003C\u002Fp>\n",27443,{"_acf_changed":20,"footnotes":27},[31,174,175],798,800,[177,178,179,180,181,182,183],207,275,3465,548,764,7657,7659,[185,186],950,952,[],[189,190,191,192],1617,2987,2989,1571,[194,14,47,48,49,50,51,52,195,196,197,198,199,200,201,202,203,204,205],"post-47437","category-digital-health-research","category-healthcare-policy","tag-digital-health","tag-healthcare","tag-germany","tag-healthcare-policy","tag-healthcare-system","tag-digital-health-apps","tag-diga","project_category-medical-professionals","project_category-policy-makers",{"id":171,"alt_text":207,"caption":27,"description":27,"media_type":60,"media_details":208,"post":230,"source_url":231},"Germany and 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