What are DiGAs?
Digital health applications, or DiGAs for short, are certified medical apps or browser-based applications that can help people detect, monitor, treat, or alleviate medical conditions. For example, they can help document symptoms, present information in an easy-to-understand way, guide users through exercises, or provide support in managing a condition in everyday life.
However, for such applications to truly add value, their technical availability alone is not enough. It is also crucial that those affected are sufficiently informed about the offerings, understand them, can use them easily, and feel well supported in managing their condition.
Learn, Try, Discuss
The workshops began by providing an overview: What apps are already available for people with cancer? How can they provide support in daily life? And what are the ways to access these services?
The focus then shifted to hands-on exploration. Using provided test devices with test accounts, participants were able to try out various applications directly. The group discussion also covered experiences, unanswered questions, areas for improvement, and wishes for future digital support services.
The open exchange was particularly valuable: patients and their loved ones shared their own experiences, questions, and perspectives. It became clear just how varied expectations for digital support can be—and how important it is to take this diversity into account right from the research and development stage. “Digital health applications can only truly be of help if they are developed with people in mind. Direct dialogue with those affected and their family members shows us which features are helpful in everyday life, where uncertainties exist, and what digital offerings or accompanying training formats will be needed in the future,” says Dr. Laura Moradbakhti.
Research at the Intersection of AI, Digital Health, and Human-Technology Interaction
As part of the PROFuture funding program at TH OWL, Dr. Laura Moradbakhti is establishing a research group at inIT focused on the topic “AI and Digital Assistance Systems in Healthcare.” In cooperation with the Lippe District Health Department, she is conducting research as a tandem postdoc on artificial intelligence for digital assistance systems designed to strengthen health literacy among the general population.
With her experience in the fields of digital health, UX research, Human-Technology Interaction, technology acceptance, AI ethics, and social robotics, she brings precisely the perspective that is central to digital health solutions: Technology must be developed in a scientifically sound, ethically responsible manner that is closely aligned with people’s needs.