30.01.13
E-mental health can transform services – MHN
Technology can transform mental healthcare, a new report from the NHS Confederation’s Mental Health Network (MHN) suggests.
The report aims to start a dialogue about how smartphone apps to track changes in mood, online platforms for peer support and computerised monitoring of systems can be used to offer service users support when and how they want it.
The development of a national framework for e-mental health is essential, the MHN said.
‘E-mental health: what’s all the fuss about?’ was produced jointly by MHN, Big White Wall and Tavistock & Portman NHS FT and aims to enable service users to become service leaders in design and delivery of mental healthcare.
Co-author of the paper Rebecca Cotton, acting deputy director of the Mental Health Network (MHN), said: “We know that we need to make better use of NHS resources. Exploring how technology can help deliver that in mental health services is really important.
“But e-mental health is about much more than money. People expect the NHS to keep up with the pace of modern life - and that means embracing technological change.”
Co-author Jen Hyatt, founder and chief executive of Big White Wall, said:
“Transformative digital models open the door to future healthcare. They shift the individual health journey from one of being ‘passive and alone’ to ‘active and supported’.”
Co-author Dr Matthew Patrick, chief executive of the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are living in a rapidly changing world. Such change brings with it challenge and risk, but also real opportunity. In the case of mental health and the digital environment I think the opportunities are significant. Not least, I think the digital revolution encourages us to rethink the nature of the contract between citizens, service users, professionals and health care services as suggested within this piece.”
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