Bridging the Divide in Digital Therapeutics (DTx): Partnership Strategies for Broader Representation Across DTx Development and Deployment

While Digital Therapeutics (DTx) are widely considered a key strategy to reach certain populations with unmet healthcare needs, a range of differences in the impact and adoption of DTx still exists. These differences are not just rooted in access, but also in gaps in knowledge about how to produce community relevant DTx, primarily stemming from the exclusion of those with both relevant trained expertise (gained through formal education or professional experience) and lived expertise (gained through personal and direct experience). To address this challenge, we propose that fostering robust, mutually beneficial partnerships among individuals with varying levels of trained and lived expertise is a key strategy. DTx development teams should intentionally integrate a range of lived and trained expertise to better support context-based decision making throughout the DTx lifecycle. We propose that partnership processes should create space for all team members to contribute their full array of relevant knowledge, skills, and insights. Doing so enriches team dynamics and increases the potential for designing and deploying DTx solutions that are relevant and usable in real-world settings. This paper presents strategies for building robust partnerships in DTx development to address the evolving digital divides. First, we first outline how the current digital divide has expanded to include production and knowledge gaps. We then introduce a structured process to identify and prioritize individual expertise across DTx development phases. This approach emphasizes dynamic decision-making, where different individuals guide decisions depending on the phase and context, ensuring that the most relevant expertise is applied when it matters most. Grounded in team science and partnership formation theory, our method includes practical prompts for aligning decision-making with relevant expertise. Since our approach is in the pilot stage, we invite others to test and refine these tools through collaborative efforts aimed at more useful and effective DTx development.