Meaningful engagement: A crossfunctional framework for digital therapeutics.

Area of Science:

• Digital mental health
• Digital therapeutics
• Clinical psychology

Background:

• Digital mental health interventions, or digital therapeutics, show promise for increasing accessibility and reducing stigma in mental healthcare.
• A critical challenge is ensuring users engage meaningfully with these technologies for improved clinical outcomes, not just prolonged usage.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a 4-step framework for assessing and enhancing meaningful engagement in digital therapeutics.
• To provide recommendations for overcoming common challenges in implementing this framework.

Main Methods:

• The study outlines a 4-step framework: 1. Define the measure of value. 2. Operationalize meaningful engagement. 3. Implement solutions to increase engagement. 4. Iteratively evaluate impact on engagement and outcomes.
• Emphasis is placed on a cross-functional approach and includes an adolescent-focused example.

Main Results:

• Meaningful engagement, not just time spent, is crucial for digital therapeutics to be effective.
• The proposed framework offers a structured approach to developing and refining digital mental health tools.

Conclusions:

• A systematic, cross-functional approach is necessary to foster meaningful engagement with digital therapeutics.
• Tailoring engagement strategies to specific user populations, such as adolescents, is vital for maximizing clinical benefits.