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Alberta M. C. Spreafico & Roberto Ascione

From Direct-to-Patient to Direct-to-Disease Models – Digitally Enhancing Patient Journeys and Creating Shared Value

Digital health is maturing—meeting safety, accuracy, and regulatory standards while engaging both HCPs and patients at platform scale. This opens a pivotal opportunity for pharma: move beyond the margins of care delivery and help orchestrate patient-centric, digitally enhanced pathways that reduce fragmentation, accelerate time-to-treatment, and improve adherence.

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The DtD model represents a forward-looking approach to value-based care—scaling innovation through co-design, regulatory alignment, and partnerships so sponsors become trusted, future-ready partners in health.

Direct-to-Patient succeeds in lighter-regulated markets through telehealth and e-pharmacies, but Europe’s universal systems demand something different: compliant, disease-focused orchestration that creates value for patients, HCPs, and the system as a whole. DtD integrates screening, diagnosis, prescription, delivery, follow-up, and data orchestration (GDPR-compliant) into one unbranded, trusted journey—shifting pharma from app sponsor to ecosystem enabler with measurable impact on access, adherence, and time-on-treatment.

When Pathways—not Products—Win:
Why DtD Outperforms DtP at System Scale

What you’ll learn

How DtP differs from DtD—and why Europe’s universal, regulated systems favor disease-focused orchestration over direct marketing
Why integrating modules (education, screening, telehealth, eRx, delivery, follow-ups, adherence support) reduces fragmentation and speeds care
What GDPR-compliant data orchestration and AI enable—real-time insights, safer pathways, and sustained time-on-treatment
Where pharma can create shared value—co-design with providers, telemedicine, and e-pharmacy partners across regulated systems
Which capabilities matter to scale—regulatory alignment, interoperable platforms, and unbranded experiences that build trust at national level

Alberta M. C. Spreafico is a global health innovation pioneer and leading expert in digital health policies and strategies for scaling health innovations systemically. As Senior Vice President of Health Innovation at EVERSANA, she drives global initiatives in collaboration with health and innovation ecosystem stakeholders. She also serves as Academic Fellow in the Government, Health and Not for Profit Division at SDA Bocconi School of Management and as Adjunct Professor at the University of Pavia, focusing on health policy, global health, and health equity. Alberta directs the Digital Health Policy Summit at Frontiers Health, acts as Policy Knowledge Partner to the Digital Therapeutics Alliance, and sits on the External Advisory Board of the HealthData@EU project. She has founded global health programs worldwide, contributed to NASA’s Benefits to Humanity, and partici- pates in United Nations expert meetings. A TEDx speaker, she is a passionate advocate for “digitally enhancing” health for all.

About the Author
Alberta M. C. Spreafico

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Roberto is a pioneer in health innovation, a recognized thought leader, serial entrepreneur, and global manager. Trained as a medical doctor and in marketing communications, his passion for medicine, computer science, and human-technology interactions have led to his lifelong commitment and dedication to the advancement of digital healthcare. In 1997, he founded his first company leading to Healthware Group, which joined EVERSANA in 2023 where he is part of the global executive leadership. He serves as Chairman of Frontiers Health, a leading health innovation conference, and is a founding advisor to the Digital Therapeutics Alliance (DTA). Roberto is a regular keynote speaker at global events, author of the books “The Future of Health” (Wiley) and “Il Futuro della Salute” (Hoepli). Roberto is also President of Future Health Ventures (formerly known as Healthware Ventures) and is active in the health innovation ecosystem in various advisor and investor capacities both across Europe and the United States. Currently, as President of Health Innovation at EVERSANA, he continues to drive global health innovation, in the pursuit of a better, more accessible, sustainable, and human healthcare for all.