Digital Therapeutics (DTx) As a ‘Technical Milieu’: Overcoming Psychic and Economic Alienation Rather Than Playing Catch-Up

Gross, Nicole and Geiger, Susi (2026) Digital Therapeutics (DTx) As a ‘Technical Milieu’: Overcoming Psychic and Economic Alienation Rather Than Playing Catch-Up. In: De Gruyter Handbook of Digital Health and Society. De Gruyter, pp. 279-302. ISBN 9783111247465

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Abstract

Many people worldwide lack access to healthcare services, particularly for chronic illnesses and mental health difficulties. Digital therapeutics (DTx) companies have emerged in this space, promising to plug the gap between consumer-oriented digital wellness applications and traditional healthcare services. Yet, despite a decade of intense investment and the emergence of medical and regulatory norms, these companies have yet to unlock true value for society. DTx companies have complex platforms and significant clinical evidence, and while they have made some inroads into payer systems in key countries, they are still struggling for survival. We argue against explanations that see the lack of traction of DTx companies in our healthcare systems as a matter of ‘catch-up’, according to which it is simply a matter of time for the lag between technological advances and stakeholder adoption to disappear. Rather, we take inspiration from the work of Gilbert Simondon and Bernard Stiegler to describe how DTx has become a ‘technical milieu’ that remains detached from social practice, culture and human reality. This, arguably, has led to a psychic and economic alienation of physicians and users from these technologies. Exploring this alienation between technical realities in an increasingly ‘automatic society’ and the cultures that buttress them, the chapter concludes with specific recommendations on how this alienation may be overcome in digital health for the benefit of society.

Item Type:	Book Section
Subjects:	R Medicine > Healthcare Industry H Social Sciences > HM Sociology > Information Science > Communication > Medical Informatics Q Science > QA Mathematics > Computer software > Mobile Phone Applications T Technology > T Technology (General) > Information Technology > Computer software > Mobile Phone Applications
Divisions:	School of Business and Social Sciences > Staff Research and Publications
Depositing User:	Tamara Malone
Date Deposited:	21 Jan 2026 09:45
Last Modified:	21 Jan 2026 09:45
URI:	https://norma.ncirl.ie/id/eprint/9109

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