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Digital Tools Seek to Bolster Mental Health Care
Two experts involved in the research and development of digital tools to support clinical care recently discussed with Psychiatry Advisor how their offerings will contribute to mental health practice.
Ravi N. Shah, MD, MBA, chief innovation officer of the Columbia University Department of Psychiatry, New York, New York, told the publication that he and Columbia Psychiatry colleague John Mann, MD—author of a New England Journal of Medicine review on the medical management of depression—have teamed up to create an app-based algorithm for depression care.
The app will guide mental health professionals through screening, diagnosis, medication protocols, and follow-up. Through gateway screening questions, diagnostic considerations, medication changes, and ongoing management, the app aims to provide practical input for the longitudinal care of a patient.
“No app can be applied in a robotic manner or replace clinical judgment. Rather, it is another tool in the toolkit and a way to help you incorporate the latest research into practice,” Dr Shah told Psychiatry Advisor. “No matter what algorithm we create, it can never recreate every scenario in humankind, but it is likely to cover much of what is seen in routine clinical practice.”
Hari Prasad, MS, cofounder and CEO of Yosi Health, said the impetus for his patient information collection platform struck when he sought emergency care for a dislocated shoulder and struggled to complete the necessary paperwork onsite.
Related: Smartphone App Reduces Symptoms in Users With Serious Mental Illness
“It was both annoying and painful. I had to rummage through my things to find my insurance card, remember all the medications I was taking, sign a bunch of consent forms, and do all of this while in serious pain,” he told the publication. “Having worked for hospitals and insurers and having an academic background in health informatics, finance, and data analytics, I knew there had to be a better way.”
Yosi’s system replaces the waiting room paper-and-clipboard approach with a cloud-based tool for information collection. Providers in a range of specialties, including mental and behavioral health, can choose from standardized questionnaires and other evidence-based questions for customized intake forms. After patients book an appointment, they are contacted to provide information via a web-based, HIPAA-compliant platform accessible via a smartphone or computer. The system, which does not require patients to create logins or passwords, transfers collected information directly into the electronic medical record and also scores assessments for clinicians to review before the appointment, according to the article.
Mental health assessment tools available through the platform include Patient Health Questionnaire-9, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, and the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders.
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