JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Digital therapeutics can overcome many of the barriers to translation of evidence-based treatment for substance use and mental health conditions. Delivered via familiar platforms such as the Web, smartphone applications, text messaging, and videoconferencing, digital therapeutics can transcend the time and geographic boundaries of traditional clinical settings so that broad individuals can access care when and where they need it. There is strong empirical support for digital behavioral health therapeutic approaches, yet implementation science with regard to scaling use digital therapeutics is still in its early stages. In this paper, we summarize the proceedings of a day-long workshop, Implementation Science and Digital Therapeutics, sponsored and hosted by the Center for Technology and Behavioral Health at Dartmouth College. The Center for Technology and Behavioral Health is an interdisciplinary P30 Center of Excellence funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, with the mission of promoting state-of-the-technology and state-of-the-science for development, evaluation and sustainable implementation of digital therapeutic approaches. Nine scientists were invited to present their work regarding digital approaches to behavioral health. Workshop presentations were grounded in current models of implementation science. Directions and opportunities for collaborative research to propel implementation science to promote broad adoption of digital therapeutics for behavioral health are offered.