Digital Medicine enters the patient’s home
Fabrizio Gervasoni, Luca Marin, Stefania Ballarin, Antonino Michele Previtera
Digital rehabilitation and telerehabilitation are increasingly integrated into daily clinical practice, using innovative telemonitoring tools, remote therapeutic exercise devices, and systems to verify therapeutic adherence. This is crucial for patients with chronic pain, often due to delays in treatment caused by long waiting lists. Although the effectiveness of pain monitoring apps is still debated, they are well accepted by clinicians and help patients monitor their pain daily through notifications. The use of predefined alerts improves therapeutic adherence and clinical outcomes, especially in risky drug therapies. Home-based devices for physical therapies such as magnetotherapy and electrotherapy, monitored through apps, allow sessions to be scheduled and monitored, ensuring strict control of care. Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) collect data on pain perception and effectiveness of therapies, further improving adherence. Educating patients and caregivers via apps is essential for autonomous and safe execution of home treatments. Digital Medicine thus offers significant therapeutic opportunities, complementing in-person clinical assessment and making therapies safer, simpler, and more effective.