The time it usually takes for medical appointments -- including travel and waiting room time -- will plummet, supplanted by telemedicine visits with a new type of clinician, the "virtualist." The provider-patient relationship will take a déjà vu turn, with patients in their own homes for appointments.

Though many are still under study, some digiceuticals are demonstrating effectiveness. Examples: At least two firms have developed apps to reduce the relentless noise of tinnitus by retraining the brain to turn down the volume—and some reviewers say it works. To manage heart failure patients, the Mayo Clinic prescribed the use of an app that would track blood pressure, activity, and other factors. The reported result: a 40 percent reduction in hospital readmissions related to cardiac issues.