Partnership Aims to Enhance Patient Access to Digital Therapeutics

In collaboration with Orexo US, Trinity Health will offer two digital therapeutics for those battling depression and alcoholism in an effort to improve patient access to these treatments.  

As a nonprofit integrated healthcare system, Trinity Health serves over 200,000 people across North Dakota and Montana, including many rural communities. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, North Dakota and Montana both have a high prevalence of binge drinking, with 22.7 percent and 19.7 percent of their respective populations claiming to partake in binge drinking in 2018.

Further, about 33 percent of adults in North Dakota and 28 percent of Montana residents had symptoms of anxiety and/or depressive disorder in 2021, according to data from the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Per the new collaboration, Trinity Health plans on providing its patients battling depression and binge drinking with access to Deprexis and Vorvida, which are digital therapeutics created by Orexo.

Orexo is a pharmaceutical and digital therapeutics company focusing on treatment for substance use and mental health conditions.

Deprexis is a web-based application that supports patients going through a depressive episode, providing them with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)–based techniques to help improve thoughts and behaviors. Vorvida is a personalized online program that aims to help those who drink excessively identify triggers and determine alternate methods for handling their emotions.

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Trinity Health launched a pilot program offering these two digital therapeutics to staff and their dependents. Following the success of the pilot, the health system decided to expand the availability of the treatments to its patients. 

“Trinity Health is at the forefront of tackling two of the toughest health challenges facing millions of Americans who live in smaller communities across the country,” said John M. Kutch, president and CEO of Trinity Health, in a press release. “Community health systems are often faced with unique challenges that require innovative solutions to make care more accessible to our many patients across a vast geographic area. Digital therapeutics provide evidence-based mental health offerings, which align with our goal of prioritizing accessibility without sacrificing quality of care.”

The application of digital therapeutics in clinical care has become more widespread. 

In August, health insurer SelectHealth added a digital therapeutic to treat those battling opioid use disorders as a covered benefit for fully insured commercial members. Called reSET-O, the digital therapeutic provides cognitive behavioral therapy on a tablet or smartphone.

Another report from July, however, identified several weaknesses that accompany the benefits of digital therapeutics. Despite high levels of patient engagement, digital therapeutics use can be stymied by the lack of clarity related to reimbursement and the ability to differentiate between the clinical validity of various applications.