Mechanisms of action for digital therapeutics
Digital therapeutics (DTx) are increasingly established, yet their mechanisms of action (MoA) remain underexplored. This article defines and categorizes DTx MoA through a novel conceptual framework, distinguishing them from conventional treatments. We specifically conceptualize therapeutic elements, cognitive-affective and behavioral changes, and segment the notion of "dose" into distinct categories. This actionable framework provides a systematic basis for enhancing DTx research, design, and clinical effectiveness.
Authors
- Ariel Dora Stern (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3586-1041)
- Simon Reif (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6842-289X)
- Linea Schmidt (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-3014-4058)
- Felix Schirmann
- Benedikt Langenberger
Institutions
- Hasso Plattner Institute (DE)
- University of Potsdam (DE)
- Centre for European Economic Research (DE)
- Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (DE)
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- npj Digital Medicine
- Published
- 2026-03-05
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-026-02502-y
- Primary Topic
- Digital Mental Health Interventions
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00