| Abstract (ENG): |
Digital therapeutics (DTx) are evidence-based, software-driven medical interventions that require both physician endorsement and active patient engagement. This makes their adoption distinct from conventional pharmaceuticals. Unlike traditional medications, which rely on passive adherence, DTx demand continuous patient interaction, digital literacy, and motivation, requiring physicians to assess not only clinical appropriateness but also patient suitability and willingness to adopt to such digital therapeutics. This dual dependency creates an unique two-tier adoption process, in which physicians must first accept and prescribe DTx before patients can actually adopt them. Existing technology adoption models, such as the Technology Acceptance Model and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology, assume self-adoption and fail to account for this physician-mediated adoption, where prescription decisions act as a prerequisite for patient adoption. To address this gap, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 physicians across various specialties in Germany. Using Grounded Theory, our analysis identifies four key dimensions influencing DTx prescription intentions: (1) expected adoption, referring to physicians' assessment of whether patients will accept and engage with DTx, (2) expected adherence, which reflects their estimation of sustained patient use, (3) attitude toward DTx, shaped by physicians’ perceptions of DTx, and (4) expected self-efficacy, which captures their confidence in patients’ ability to use digital interventions successfully. These insights contribute to digital health adoption research by proposing a two-tier model of DTx prescription, in which physicians act as intermediaries, shaping patient access to digital therapeutics through their prescription decisions. The study offers practical implications for policymakers, healthcare providers, and DTx developers, emphasizing the need for structured physician training, improved reimbursement models, and better integration of DTx into clinical workflows to facilitate broader adoption. |
| Citation: |
Jechle, Deinera and Seerig, Kirsten H. and Gewald, Heiko
(2025)
A Two-Tier Adoption Process: The Case of Physicians Prescription of Digital Therapeutics.
In: 15th Annual Conference for Health IT and Analytics (CHITA), 26-27 April, 2025, Austin, TX, USA.
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