Co-Creation in the Development of Digital Therapeutics: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Digital therapeutics (DTx) are transforming healthcare delivery through personalised, evidence-based interventions that offer a cost-effective approach to health management. However, their widespread adoption faces significant barriers including privacy concerns, usability issues, and integration challenges within healthcare systems. This review assesses the current evidence on DTx, with a particular focus on the role of co-creation in enhancing design and usability. A narrative review was conducted to identify studies exploring co-creation in DTx development. Three studies were selected for in-depth analysis, demonstrating that co-creation processes significantly improve the usability and effectiveness of DTx interventions. Findings underscore challenges in DTx implementation, including complex regulatory processes, digital inequality, high development costs, and difficulties in integrating with existing healthcare systems. Despite the existence of discrete examples of co-creation in DTx and its acknowledged value in the healthcare domain, systematic research in this field remains markedly limited. Future studies should prioritise establishing best practises for co-creation, with particular emphasis on methods to enhance data privacy and security, standardisation protocols, and patient engagement strategies to optimise DTx adoption and effectiveness. This review contributes to the growing body of literature on DTx by highlighting the potential of co-creation while also identifying critical areas for future research.