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Peer-Reviewed Publication
NPJ Digit Med2026;9(1)March 5, 2026Journal Article

Mechanisms of action for digital therapeutics.

Linea Schmidt1,2, Benedikt Langenberger3,4, Felix Schirmann5, Simon Reif6,7, Ariel Dora Stern1,2
1Hasso Plattner Institute, Digital Engineering Faculty, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany.
2Windreich Department of Artificial Intelligence & Human Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America.
3Hasso Plattner Institute, Digital Engineering Faculty, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany. benedikt.langenberger@hpi.de.
4Windreich Department of Artificial Intelligence & Human Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America. benedikt.langenberger@hpi.de.
5Oviva AG, Berlin, Germany.
6ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research, Mannheim, Germany.
7University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Nürnberg, Germany.
PubMed PMC DOI PDF

Abstract

Digital therapeutics (DTx) are increasingly established, yet their mechanisms of action (MoA) remain underexplored. This article defines and categorizes DTx MoA through a novel conceptual framework, distinguishing them from conventional treatments. We specifically conceptualize therapeutic elements, cognitive-affective and behavioral changes, and segment the notion of "dose" into distinct categori…

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