Digital Health Technologies Applied by the Pharmaceutical Industry to Improve Access to Noncommunicable Disease Care in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

backgroundThere is limited research on how digital health technologies (DHTs) are used to promote access to care for patients with noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We describe the use of DHTs in pharmaceutical industry-led access programs aimed at improving access to NCD care in LMICs.

methodsThe Access Observatory is the largest publicly available repository containing detailed information about pharmaceutical industry-led access programs targeting NCDs. The repository includes 101 access program reports submitted by 19 pharmaceutical companies. From each report, we extracted data relating to geographic location, disease area, beneficiary population, use of DHTs, partnerships, strategies, and activities. Data were analyzed descriptively using SAS Statistical Software and categorized according to the World Health Organization Digital Health Classification Framework.

resultsA total of 43 access programs (42.6%) included DHTs. The majority of programs using DHTs were clustered across sub-Saharan Africa (72.1%) and targeted cancer (60.5%) followed by metabolic disorders (39.5%). The applied DHTs mostly related to program strategies on health service strengthening (74.4%) and community awareness (41.9%) and were largely directed toward health providers, followed by data services and clients. Only a few DHTs were used for health system management. To promote access, most DHTs focused on improving data collection, management, and use (51.1%); building health provider capacity through training (37.2%); and providing targeted patient information (34.8%).

conclusionThe range of DHTs applied by the pharmaceutical industry offers opportunities for more effective access to NCD care. Transparent reporting on DHT use and its contributions to access programs' achievements may reduce duplicative and redundant efforts and provide learnings for private and public stakeholders that may contribute to greater access to NCD care in LMICs.