Challenges and Modest Gains: The Reality of Medical Chatbots and Digital Mental Health Apps in Germany

Recent studies and evaluations highlight significant challenges and modest effectiveness in emerging health technologies such as medical chatbots and digital mental health applications (DiGAs) within Germany's healthcare landscape.

A British study led by Oxford University revealed that medical chatbots currently struggle to provide accurate diagnoses. In a large-scale experiment involving about 1,000 participants using prominent chatbots based on GPT-4o, Llama 3, and Command R+, only one-third correctly identified their medical conditions through simulated cases. Meanwhile, a control group relying on traditional internet searches was one and a half times more successful. Researchers attributed the chatbots' limitations partly to users’ poor symptom descriptions. Experts like Anne Reinhardt from the University of Munich and Kerstin Denecke from Bern University of Applied Sciences emphasized that enhancing user interactions, including chatbots prompting for missing information and clarifying diagnostic uncertainty, is crucial for improvement.

On the mental health front, DiGAs—digital health applications prescribed by healthcare professionals and reimbursed by statutory insurance—have been available since 2020 and are gaining traction. As of February 2026, over 75 DiGAs are listed by the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM), with 30 dedicated to psychological conditions such as depression, anxiety, and ADHD. These applications provide psychoeducational content and practical exercises aimed at mild to moderate mental health issues and serve as valuable adjuncts rather than replacements for traditional psychotherapy. While their effectiveness tends to be small to moderate, DiGAs can help patients bridge therapy waiting times and support engagement with therapeutic techniques between sessions. However, caution is advised for severe cases to avoid undermining motivation for conventional therapy.

Together, these insights underscore that while digital health tools are promising, significant improvements in chatbot design and user guidance, as well as clear applications of DiGAs within treatment frameworks, are necessary to fully realize their potential in Germany’s healthcare system.