Commentary on 'Tomorrows World'. Research into the use of digital technology to deliver treatment for psychosis is turning up some fascinating applications, but enthusiasm for these products must be tempered with a realistic appraisal of the steps from initial proof of concept to a marketable device. Login using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens for full text. SSOTP - You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
A multitude of mental health apps are available to consumers through the Apple and Google app stores. However, evidence supporting the effectiveness of mHealth is scant. We argue this gap between app availability and research evidence is primarily due to unsuitable knowledge translation practices and therefore suggest abandoning the randomised controlled trial as the primary app evaluation paradigm. Alternative evaluation methodologies such as iterative participatory research and single case designs are better aligned with mHealth translational needs. A further challenge to the use of mobile technology in mental health is the dissemination of information about app quality to consumers. Strategies to facilitate successful dissemination of quality resources must consider several factors, such as target audience and context. In practice, structured solutions to inform consumers of evidence-informed apps could range from the development of consumer used tools to app accreditation portals. Consumer enthusiasm for apps represents an opportunity to increase access and support for psychiatric populations. However, adoption of alternative research methodologies and the development of dissemination strategies are vital before this opportunity can be substantially seized.To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details
Open access. Book review. Mental Health in the Digital Age: Grave Dangers, Great Promise Edited by Elias Aboujaoude and Vladan Starcevic Oxford University Press, 2015, £29.58, pb, 302 pp. ISBN: 9780199380183
Technology has always been a double-edged sword: there are associated risks and benefits. As a practising psychiatrist I increasingly rely on technology at work, using next-generation electronic medical records and at times recommending appropriate smartphone-based applications as additional therapy for my patients.....To read a copy of the book in this review, please contact the library
A new app, called Nujjer, combines a highly sensitive wristband which monitors user activity, sleep patterns and eating frequency with a smartphone application. The app has a range of educational sessions that target diet, physical activity and mental resilience.
Psychiatrists at the Trust helped to develop motivational messaging, to help individuals reach goals such as reducing weight and increasing physical activity.
Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock will set out plans at the NHS Expo in Manchester today to make the NHS an ecosytem for the best technology available. These will build on the £20 billion long-term plan to transform health and social care so it can improve treatment and deliver better care for patients.
Our interactive map brings together case studies from across England and the rest of world, highlighting some of the places that are experimenting with and implementing new technologies to achieve better health outcomes or more efficient care.
This map is not a comprehensive listing of all such projects – it is limited to a selection of case studies featured in our publications and at our events, plus the NHS test bed sites set up to evaluate the real-world impact of new technologies. We will add new case studies as we publish them.
This report examines the current landscape of data-driven technologies and their applications in mental healthcare, highlighting areas where these tools offer the most potential for the NHS and its patients.