Navigating the DiGA Jungle: A Taxonomy and Archetypal Framework of the German Digital Therapeutics Landscape

Digital therapeutics (DTx) are patient-facing apps designed to support individuals in their daily lives. Therefore, they have the potential to revolutionize healthcare by empowering and engaging patients to become active players in their own care. Despite the increasing adoption of DTx in national healthcare systems, research on their design remains limited. The present study introduces "DiGATax", a taxonomy designed to categorize and analyze DTx, including perspectives on content, intervention delivery logic and technology, as well as the patients interface, consolidating and expanding upon prior taxonomic work. Based on n = 44 applications retrieved from the German DiGA directory that demonstrated positive health outcomes, the taxonomy is supported by empirical evidence. Additionally, the study contributes by presenting an archetype framework of DTx derived from a taxonomy-based cluster analysis. Further analyses offer insights into specific combinations of DTx characteristics across archetypes, the user interface as a key factor in their acceptance, and potential links between DTx design and health-related and user engagement outcomes. By offering new insights into DTx design, this study contributes towards more organized research and reporting, ultimately paving the way for the development of effective solutions. It also marks a further step towards Meta-DTx, which aim to align patient care for multimorbid patients under one umbrella.