DiGA: Lack of Scientific Evidence

Digital health applications (DiGA) are used to detect, monitor, treat, or alleviate the symptoms of diseases. However, in Germany, only those DiGAs that have been approved by the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) are reimbursed by statutory health insurance funds. Safety and data protection requirements are among the first aspects to be examined. Afterward…

Pay attention to quality with health apps

Smartphone applications are increasingly supplementing traditional healthcare: they can support patients in the prevention, treatment, or healing of diseases and also help people with dementia. For many manufacturers of so-called digital health applications (DiGA), the year 2019 represented a turning point: Germany was the first country in the world to...

„App on Prescription“: High Prices Despite Inadequately Proven Effectiveness 

Whether for smartphones, tablets, or as a web-based application on a PC: For over four years, doctors have been able to prescribe so-called digital health applications (DiGA). However, since their introduction, DiGAs, which are intended to improve healthcare, have often been the cause of conflicts between the stakeholders involved, such as...