A recent analysis conducted by the Peterson Health Technology Institute (PHTI) has raised significant doubts regarding the efficacy of widely used digital diabetes management solutions. The comprehensive report, based on a review of over 1,100 articles, concluded that these tools fail to deliver substantial clinical benefits, with minimal reductions in HbA1c levels and an overall lack of meaningful impact on health outcomes. The March 2024 report challenges the long-standing promises of improved health outcomes and cost savings made by these digital solutions, sparking discussions on the evaluation methods employed and the future direction of digital health tools.
The report acknowledges the potential of certain solutions, such as Virta Health's program; it also highlights a broader industry need for transparent, evidence-based assessments. Concerns have been raised regarding the narrow focus on HbA1c levels, exclusion of real-world data, and reliance on predictive models rather than actual cost-saving studies. Digital health stakeholders have called for a more comprehensive evaluation framework that considers a wider range of clinical outcomes and incorporates input from diverse experts, urging the industry to set higher standards for evidence and transparency in the evaluation of digital health tools.
