Digital medicine

The “W.H.A.T.” Digital Therapeutics Validation Criteria

A framework to help payors and clinicians provide meaningful, measurable impact to members and patients. The array of digital therapeutics (DTx) with claims for health benefits continues to grow, which may leave clinicians and payors wondering: How can you tell which ones are safe and effective? This space is in urgent need of a consistent,...

Blog/4 min read

FDA black box warnings and Z-drugs

Catching Zzz’s While it’s tempting to claim “Z-drugs” got their name because they help you catch zzz’s, the truth is a little more literal: Most of the drugs have a “Z” in their name. Zolpidem, Zaleplon, and Eszopiclone, to name a few, are better known by their calmer-sounding brand names: Ambien, Lunesta, and Sonata. Similar...

Blog/5 min read

An alternative to antidepressants without side effects

SSRI: The best-known acronym It’s hard to find a class of drug that’s had a bigger impact on mental healthcare than the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Yep, that’s a mouthful. We’ll stick with “SSRIs” from here on out. The first SSRI, Prozac, made a huge splash when it hit the market in 1987, promising...

Blog/6 min read

Six powerful takeaways from US companies on building equitable mental health

As people quit their jobs by the millions during the current pandemic, it’s clear employers have a long way to go when it comes to addressing their employees’ mental health needs. But if you’re the leader of a business or someone with the power to influence the mental health care benefits employees receive, how do...

Blog/6 min read

Why does racism and systemic oppression negatively affect Black and African American mental health?

As a Black woman in my mid-30s, I’m just one generation removed from the Jim Crow era. This oppressive system created a racial apartheid that primarily dictated the lives of millions of Black Southerners and relegated them to second-class citizens. The legacy of this history still heavily impacts the lives of Black and African American...

Blog/6 min read

FDA black box warnings and anti-anxiety medications

BEN-zoh-dy-A-zeh-peen Benzodiazepine is hard to say. And you may be thinking you have no idea what a benzodiazepine is. But you probably do, just by its brand names: Xanax, Ativan, Valium, and Klonopin. Benzodiazepines (benzos) are a class of drugs that enhance the function of GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), a chemical that reduces brain activity. As...

Blog/5 min read

Mental health medications: The double-edged sword

This morning, 40 million Americans woke up and, somewhere between putting on the coffee and walking the dog, headed to the medicine cabinet and took a mental health medication. Most breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that their anxiety or depression would feel manageable for another day. At the same time, many worried about the...

Blog/5 min read

Mental health medication side effects at work

Millions of Americans struggle with mental health conditions such as insomnia, anxiety, or depression. One of the most common treatments for these conditions is medication; and for many, medication is a critical intervention that can improve lives. However, not everyone can take psychiatric medications, because like most drugs, these medications come with side effects that...

Blog/4 min read

A safe and effective non-drug option for mental health

In 1992, the alternative rock band R.E.M. wrote the song “Everybody Hurts” and it became an instant classic (here, have a listen). Not only is the tune catchy but the lyrics are rather accurate. Decades of psychological research confirm it: Mental health problems are universal and “everybody [does indeed] hurt sometimes.” Across the globe, between...

Blog/4 min read

Digital therapeutics: Navigating the ‘wild west’ of digital health

I believe there is significant confusion in buyers, prescribers, and users, around what constitutes a digital therapeutic and why this matters. A question I often get asked is how people can differentiate a digital therapeutic from, well, everything else claiming to digitally manage health. I set out a few thoughts below on definition, why digital...

Blog/6 min read

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