• Archives of Obesity and Metabolism
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.47-52
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• 2022

Digital therapeutics (DTx) are emerging as a novel solution to improve lifestyle and prevent non-communicable diseases. Obesity is a complex, multi-factorial, chronic condition that requires patient-centered lifestyle modification. DTx, such as mobile applications and wearables, may offer easily accessible, efficient, and personalized care in the field of obesity and metabolic diseases. Yet, there is controversy over its clinical usefulness. This review will provide a comprehensive overview of DTx, including its potential role and current limitation in obesity care, based on recent literature.

• Electronics and Telecommunications Trends
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.73-81
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• 2024

As the demand for a healthy life increases and the use of information technology expands, interest in digital healthcare has increased. Among the digital healthcare technologies, digital therapeutics (DTx), which are capable of disease prevention, management, and treatment rather than simple healthcare, are expected to play a key role in future healthcare services. As interest in untact remote treatment that can minimize the risk of viral infection has rapidly increased since the spread of COVID-19, the application of DTx has received much attention because it can partially replace face-to-face treatment for mental illnesses, chronic diseases, and other diseases, reducing concerns about infection. In addition, because of the nature of software, DTx have lower toxicity and fewer side effects than existing treatments and do not require manufacturing, transportation, and storage like general medicines. Hence, they can be supplied in large quantities at low cost and have the advantage of lowering medical costs. However, despite these advantages, it has been pointed out that there are difficulties in investment and universal use because of the complexity of pricing and malpractice compensation. In other words, if it is difficult to prove and measure the improvements in disease management and treatment using DTx and it takes a considerable amount of time and money to do so, it will be difficult to attract investment from stakeholders such as medical providers and pharmaceutical companies. In this paper, we examine the domestic and global application status and development trends of DTx and determine the relevant implications.

• Korean Circulation Journal
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• v.52 no.4
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• pp.265-279
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• 2022

Digital health is rapidly growing worldwide and its area is expanding from wellness to treatment due to digital therapeutics (DTx). This study compared DTx in the Korean context with other countries to better understand its political and practical implications. DTx is generally the same internationally, often categorized as software as a medical device. It provides evidence-based therapeutic interventions for medical disabilities and diseases. Abroad, DTx support entailed state subsidies and fundraising and national health insurance coverage. In the case of national health insurance coverage, most cases were applied to mental diseases. Moreover, in Japan, DTx related to hypertension will possibly be under discussion for national health insurance coverage in 2022. In overseas countries, coverage was decided only when the clinical effects were equivalent to those provided by existing technology, and in the UK, real usage data for DTx and associated evaluations were reflected by national health coverage determination. Prices were either determined through closed negotiations with health insurance operating agencies and manufacturers or established based on existing technology. Concerning the current situation, DTx dealing with various diseases including hypertension are expected to be developed near in the future, and the demand for use and compensation will likely increase. Therefore, it is urgent to define and prepare for DTx, relevant support systems, and health insurance coverage listings. Several support systems must be considered, including government subsidies, science/technology funds, and health insurance.

• Journal of Internet Computing and Services
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.15-24
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• 2023

Digital therapeutics (DTx) are utilized to replace or supplement drug therapy to treat patients. DTx are developed as a mobile application for portability and convenience. The government requires security verification to be performed on digital medical devices that manage sensitive information during the transmission and storage of patient data. Although safety verification is included in the approval process for DTx, the cybersecurity checklist used as a reference does not reflect the characteristics of mobile applications. This poses the risk of potentially overlooking vulnerabilities during security verification. This study aims to address this issue by comparing and analyzing existing items based on the mobile tactics, techniques, and procedures of MITRE ATT&CK, which manages globally known and occurring vulnerabilities through regular updates. We identify 16 items that require improvement and expand the checklist to 29 items to propose improvement measures. The findings of this study may contribute to the safe development and advancement of DTx for managing sensitive patient information.

• Journal of Internet Computing and Services
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.9-18
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• 2024

Digital therapy has emerged as a novel treatment modality, propelled by advancements in information and communication technology. In the last five years, there has been a substantial surge in research publications addressing digital therapeutics (DTx) interventions, signaling a sustained upward trajectory in this field. The dynamic nature of computer science, marked by continuous innovation and development, underscores the need for agile adaptation to rapid changes. Consequently, computer science education is compelled to offer students insights into the latest trends. This research endeavors to contribute to the evolving landscape by developing textbooks that impart knowledge about DTx, an integration of information technology. The study focuses on the application of these textbooks to elementary and middle school students in South Korea. The instructional materials have been carefully organized to enable students to learn about the principle of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) DTx at the elementary level and the DTx that can prevent and address the digital drama at the middle school level. Based on the application of the textbook, students who received instruction using the textbook showed statistically significant improvements in all subcategories of creative problem-solving ability, including idea modification, visualization, task focus, analogy, idea generation, and elaboration (p<.01). Additionally, there were statistically significant changes in students' self-efficacy before and after using the textbook, with negative efficacy decreasing, and positive efficacy and social efficacy increasing (p<.001).

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.57-66
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• 2022

In this study, the definition of "digital therapeutics" was clarified by examining related studies, and the development trend of digital therapeutics at the domestic level was investigated. Further, research data and technologies applied to various communication disorders since 2015 were analyzed. From all these, digital therapeutics can be defined as software that can support evidence-based treatment when used on patients to prevent, manage, and treat disorders With huge investments and research efforts increasingly made in the field of digital therapeutics, 17 of the 22 studies examined were on digital therapeutics applied in the treatment of language disorders. In the research papers examined, the technologies applied were virtual reality and augmented reality, with augmented reality used in most cases. The effects of applying digital treatment were positive, and most studies focused on content development in relation to the development of digital treatment, although one study was conducted for app development. Future studies could examine the application of digital therapeutics to more diverse communication disorder subjects. Active government support is expected in developing more sophisticated software that can be applied using a wider range of technologies in the field of digital therapeutics to treat more communication disorders.

• Journal of Industrial Convergence
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• v.21 no.9
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• pp.23-32
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• 2023

Interest in Serious Games for Healthcare (SGHs) that can improve health through games is increasing. Digital Therapeutics (DTx) is a treatment that must be approved for effectiveness and safety, so it should follow the traditional drug distribution method, but SGHs are wellness products that are more flexible in terms of adoption and diffusion than DTx. SGHs are effective because it can provide customized services through continuous monitoring and feedback. When SGHs are applied to cognitive impairment treatment or behavioral correction, malfunctions and side effects are minor. This study developed research model based on the Valence Framework, gathered data from 142 undergraduates, and demonstrated that only the perceived benefits have a statistically significant positive (+) effect on SGHs acceptance intentions. Based on these results, this study suggests that SGHs companies should promote benefits in accepting SGHs for general users and they need for a distribution and analytics platform strategy based on a data-driven approach.

• The Transactions of the Korea Information Processing Society
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• v.13 no.7
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• pp.319-325
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• 2024

This study aims to develop a mobile application for the care of panic disorder, assisting in the prevention of panic attacks and the management of symptoms. Panic disorder is a psychological condition characterized by persistent fear, anxiety, and panic attacks, which requires appropriate treatment and management. The increasing need for digital therapeutics that users can access without time and space constraints is evident. The application developed through this research provides basic knowledge about panic disorder, enables self-diagnosis to monitor one's condition, and offers various therapeutic methods to effectively aid in the care of panic disorder. Additionally, it provides notifications based on real-time user location when they reach places where they have previously experienced panic attacks, and offers personalized support. This digital therapeutic aims to introduce new tools and treatment methods beyond traditional therapies. Furthermore, it is expected to contribute positively by promoting the use of digital therapeutics not only for panic disorder but also across the entire field of mental health, thereby improving users' quality of life.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.264-274
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• 2023

Purpose: The objective is to extract insights that can contribute to the formulation of harmonized international policies and support measures for innovative medical devices and management systems. This study aims to propose effective strategies for future medical device innovation and healthcare delivery. Results: It investigates technological advancements, regulatory approval systems, insurance policies, and successful commercialization cases in South Korea, the United States, and the European Union. In 2018, the FDA implemented insurance coverage for Software as a Medical Device (SaMD) and recognized insurance coverage for Digital Therapeutics (DTx). Germany is a country that ensures permanent reimbursement for healthcare applications since 2020, making it the first country to provide legal health insurance coverage for fostering a digital ecosystem. Conclusion: The findings of this research highlight the importance of cultivating a supportive regulatory and environmental framework to facilitate the adoption of innovative medical devices. Continuous support for research and development (R&D) efforts by companies, along with the validation of clinical effectiveness, is crucial.

• Journal of Korea Multimedia Society
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.640-648
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• 2022

Menopausal women have to care for their health. Menopause is a symptom that needs to be managed in the long term, which requires safe and economical treatment even after long term use. This study proposes digital-based exercise therapy. This study also suggests resistance exercise and walking exercise methods according to the proof of previous studies. It provides motivational contents for those who cannot perform regularly. As motivational methods, self-efficacy and narrative-based history methods are accepted. Self-efficacy is improved through voice agents feedback during exercise. Feedback is a type of messages such as encouragement and motivation. The narrative-based history consists of characters of visualization that improves through values, which leveraged by the exercise.