Digital Clinics and Mobile Technology Implementation for Mental Health Care

Abstract

Purpose of Review Interest in digital mental health, especially smartphone apps, has expanded in light of limited access to mental health services and the need for remote care during COVID-19. Digital clinics, in which apps are blended into routine care, offer a potential solution to common implementation challenges including low user engagement and lack of clinical integration of apps. Recent Findings While the number of mental health apps available in commercial marketplaces continues to rise, there are few examples of successful implementation of these apps into care settings. We review one example of a digital clinic created within an academic medical center and another within the Department of Veterans Affairs. We then discuss how implementation science can inform new efforts to effectively integrate mental health technologies across diverse use cases. Summary Integrating mental health apps into care settings is feasible but requires careful attention to multiple domains that will influence implementation success, including characteristics of the innovation (e.g., utility and complexity of the app), the recipients of the technology (e.g., patients and clinicians), and context (e.g., healthcare system buy-in, reimbursement, and regulatory policies). Examples of effective facilitation strategies that can be utilized to improve implementation efforts include co-production of technology involving all end users, specialized trainings for staff and patients, creation of new team members to aid in app usage (e.g., digital navigators), and re-design of clinical workflows.

Why are Patient Portals Important in the Age of COVID-19? Reflecting on Patient and Team Experiences From a Toronto Hospital Network

“…However, in order to realize the full value of these tools, developing seamless digital models of care is critical to ensuring a smooth and sensible user experience for patients and families ( 44 , 45 ). While these tools are often identified to be conducive to patient care, the lack of a synthesized and evidence-driven approach can lead to lukewarm adoption and success in real-world environments ( 46 ).…”

Critical Retrospection of Performance of Emerging Mobile Technologies in Health Data Management

“…Digital clinic for mental health is a new paradigm in the modern healthcare system. The digital clinic for mental healthcare includes synchronous health visits (by video, in person, or by phone call) for measurement-based healthcare, shared decision-making, and personalized medicine for health mental illness patients [ 11 ]. This hybrid mode of care includes discreet and/or real-time data collection of the patient using WBAN sensors.…”

Evaluating a Low-Cost Technology to Enable People with Intellectual Disability or Psychiatric Disorders to Initiate and Perform Functional Daily Activities

“…The current study may be relevant given the increasing need to (a) help caregivers and support staff to improve the effectiveness of their interventions [25], and (b) provide people with intellectual disability [26,27] or psychiatric disorders [28] with affordable solutions to achieve independence in daily activities.…”