Prescription Digital Therapeutics in Psychiatry: Virtual CME Advances Physician Knowledge and Confidence
Background: Digital therapeutic technologies (DTx) are emerging rapidly, and clinicians are challenged to understand their benefits and how they fit into practice. Physicians require education to improve understanding of the use of prescription digital therapeutics (PDTs) in treatment of psychiatric conditions
Objective: This study examined whether online CME could improve the knowledge and confidence of psychiatrists and primary care providers (PCPs) in understanding the role of PDTs in future treatment of patients with psychiatric conditions.
Methods: The CME intervention comprised of an online CME activity featuring a discussion with 3 expert faculty. Educational effect was assessed using a repeated-pair design with
pre-/post-assessment. Multiple choice questions assessed knowledge, and 1, rated on a Likert-type scale, assessed confidence. A paired samples t-test was conducted on overall average number of correct responses and for confidence rating, and a McNemar’s test was conducted at the question level (significance level, P < .05). The activity was posted on March 29, 2024; data collected May 27, 2024.
Results: The analysis set consisted of responses from psychiatrists (n=1088) and PCP (n=252) who answered all assessment questions during the study period. Analysis of pre- vs. post-intervention responses demonstrated a significant improvement in overall knowledge; average correct responses increased from 17% pre-assessment to 34% post-assessment (P < .001) in the psychiatrist group and from 11% to 23% in the PCP group (P < .001).
Conclusion: This study demonstrated the success of online CME at improving the knowledge and confidence of psychiatrists and PCPs related to understanding of the role of PDTs in psychiatric care.
