Carelink and Monsenso partner to deliver digitally enabled nationwide mental health services

Carelink and Monsenso partner to deliver digitally enabled nationwide mental health services

Carelink Nærhospital and Monsenso entered into a partnership and expect to deliver the first digitally supported mental health services in January 2024. 

Carelink Group, Denmark’s largest private health and welfare services group, and Monsenso, a leading provider of validated digital mental health solutions, have entered into a groundbreaking partnership that will redefine the way mental health services are delivered for the benefit of patients, healthcare professionals, and the healthcare sector as a whole.

Mental health is a crucial part of our society, and the need for innovative solutions to address challenges in this area has never been bigger. Carelink’s extensive experience in delivering high-quality healthcare services, combined with Monsenso’s advanced digital health solution, has the potential to create lasting value for both the healthcare sector, the work of healthcare professionals, and particularly for patients. The partnership aligns with the Danish government’s initiatives in psychiatry and the recently presented Finance Act for 2024.

Key points in this partnership include:

  1. Highly scalable digitally supported healthcare services: The partnership creates an innovative foundation that integrates traditional mental health services with advanced digital solutions. This comprehensive offering will provide individual users with tools for digital self-help, self-monitoring and effective remote clinician follow-up before, during, and after treatment.
  2. Addressing workforce issues: The shortage of qualified personnel in mental health is a challenge. This partnership aims to alleviate the problem by optimising resources and leveraging technology to expand the reach of healthcare professionals, enabling them to serve a larger number of patients.
  3. Reduced waiting times: Long waiting lists for mental health services are a significant problem nationwide. The collaboration will streamline the process and offer timely assistance through a combination of digital solutions and remote follow-up, ensuring that patients receive the support they need promptly.
  4. Improved patient experience: Patients will experience a more patient-centered and convenient approach to assessment and treatment for mental disorders. The partnership will enhance the patient experience, promote patient involvement, and provide effective follow-up, support, and treatment.
  5. Quality treatment: The combined offering will promote better treatment outcomes, as patients will have the necessary tools and support for digital self-help, self-monitoring, and effective remote follow-up. This is expected to lead to improved quality of life, more efficient processes, and a reduction in relapses.

“We have entered into this partnership to meet the pressure on psychiatry and the healthcare sector today. We aim to create a Digital First but not Digital Only offering, making waiting lists, assessment, and treatment processes more patient-centric. We believe we can achieve this by leveraging the latest clinically validated technologies to effectively follow up on treatment – also at a distance and in patients’ own homes,” says Maria Pico Almsgaard, CEO of Carelink Nærhospital.

“The potential in the partnership to create easily accessible, nationwide offerings is significant. Far too many patients are waiting for treatment and not provided with the effective, digitally supported offerings that they would like. Better assistance for children and young people, as well as digital offerings, is a priority for the government, and that’s why we have also started with digitally supported offerings for children and young people, but with new pathways continuously added,” says Thomas Lethenborg, CEO of Monsenso.

Click the button below for more information about the Monsenso solution.

Stress Awareness Month 2023

Stress Awareness Month 2023

April is Stress Awareness Month, which aims to shine light on stress and its consequences on our well-being, removing stigma and shame around mental health.  

Stress is our bodies’ and brains’ response to environmental changes or adverse events [1;2]. When we experience a situation that provokes stress in us, we either react to it positively (pro-adaptively) and are able to adjust to the situation well, or we react negatively (maladaptively) and struggle to cope with the situation.

Most people feel stressed at times throughout their life. For some, the stress just lasts for a moment or a short period. For others, it, unfortunately, prevails longer and can have debilitating consequences [3]. Negative responses to stress often present themselves as “a state of worry or […] tension” and can have both physiological and mental effects [1;2]. Chronic stress has not only been identified as a major risk factor for mental illnesses, such as anxiety or depression, but has also been linked to physical illnesses, such as cardiovascular and metabolic diseases [2].

In Denmark, the number of adults experiencing stress has increased significantly over the last few years. In 2021, elevated stress levels were recorded among 29% of the adult population, with 16–24-year-olds being the most affected age group [3].

For some people, practicing mindfulness and making smaller life changes, such as establishing a daily routine, creating better eating habits, and exercising regularly can help alleviate stress levels. For others, when stress becomes chronic and begins affecting one’s mental and physical health, seeking professional help can bring relief and help people improve their well-being.
However, many individuals struggling with their mental health do not seek treatment out of fear of being stigmatized and treated “differently […] or losing their jobs and livelihood” [4].

This is where digital health solutions for mental health offer an opportunity to empower individuals suffering from stress to better manage their own mental health and regain control over how stressful situations impact them. At Monsenso, we have worked with a variety of mental health disorders in both research and clinical settings. Our digital mental health solution has helped many individuals struggling with their mental health to better understand their conditions and live a more independent life. We are proud to support Stress Awareness Month and will continue to spread knowledge about mental health conditions and offer our support to individuals affected.
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About Monsenso
Monsenso is an innovative technology company offering a digital health solution used for decentralised trials, remote patient monitoring and treatment support. Our mission is to contribute to improved health for more people at lower costs by supporting treatment digitally and leveraging patient-reported outcomes data. Our solution helps optimise the treatment and gives a detailed overview of an individual’s health through the collection of outcome, adherence, and behavioural data. It connects individuals, carers, and healthcare providers to enable personalised treatment, remote care, and early intervention. We collaborate with health and social care, pharmaceuticals, and leading researcher worldwide in our endeavors to deliver solutions that fit into the life of patients and healthcare professionals. To learn more visit  www.monsenso.com

References:
[1] World Health Organization (2023). Stress.
https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/stress

[2] Musazzi, L., Tornese, P., Sala, N., & Popoli, M. (2017). Acute or chronic? A stressful question. Trends in Neurosciences, 40(9), 525-535.

[3] Sundhedsstyrelsen (2022). Tal og fakta om stress.
https://sst.dk/da/Viden/Forebyggelse/Mental-sundhed/Stress/Tal-og-fakta 

[4] American Psychiatric Association (n.d.). Stigma, Prejudice and Discrimination Against People with Mental Illness.
https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/stigma-and-discrimination#:~:text=Public%20stigma%20involves%20the%20negative,have%20about%20their%20own%20condition.

World Bipolar Day 2023

World Bipolar Day 2023

March 30th is World Bipolar Day. The awareness day aims to inform about the mental illness and the struggles it can cause for individuals suffering from it, improving sensitivity and eliminating social stigma.

Bipolar disorder is a complex mental illness [1] and is more prevalent than one might think. In 2019, 40 million people globally suffered from the condition [2]. Typically, individuals with bipolar disorder “experience alternating depressive episodes with periods of manic symptoms”, where euphoric feelings and reckless behavior may occur [2].

Bipolar disorder is a mental illness that often requires treatment over the course of many years [1]. Although there are a variety of effective treatment options available for the condition today, including medication and psychoeducation [2], the disorder is linked to high risks of relapse and hospitalisation [1]. In addition, individuals suffering from bipolar disorder are at a higher risk of suicide [2]. Among the age group of 15–44-year-olds, bipolar disorder is one of the leading causes of disability [1].

At Monsenso, we have a long history of trying to help individuals struggling with bipolar disorder to better take care of their mental health. Originally a spin-out of the EU-funded MONARCA Research Project, which aimed to create an innovational system allowing for better management, treatment and self-treatment of bipolar disorder [3], and with our continuous involvement in bipolar research and treatment support, we are committed to helping people living with the condition to live better, more independent lives.

We are proud to support World Bipolar Day and will continue to spread awareness and offer our support to individuals affected and clinicians providing treatment for the mental illness.
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About Monsenso
Monsenso is an innovative technology company offering a digital health solution used for decentralised trials, remote patient monitoring and treatment support. Our mission is to contribute to improved health for more people at lower costs by supporting treatment digitally and leveraging patient-reported outcomes data. Our solution helps optimise the treatment and gives a detailed overview of an individual’s health through the collection of outcome, adherence and behavioural data. It connects individuals, carers and health care providers to enable personalised treatment, remote care and early intervention. We collaborate with health and social care, pharmaceuticals and leading researcher worldwide in our endeavours to deliver solutions that fit into the life of patients and health care professionals. To learn more visit  www.monsenso.com

References
[1] Faurholt-Jepsen, M., Vinberg, M., Christensen, E.M., Frost, M., Bardram, J., Kessing, L.V (2013). Daily electronic self-monitoring of subjective and objective symptoms in bipolar disorder–the MONARCA trial protocol (MONitoring, treAtment and pRediCtion of bipolAr disorder episodes): a randomised controlled single-blind trial. BMJ Open,  24;3(7), e003353. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2013-003353. PMID: 23883891; PMCID: PMC3731717.

 [2] World Health Organization (2022). Mental disorders.
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-disorders 

[3] Europäische Kommission (2019). MONitoring, treAtment and pRediCtion of bipolAr Disorder Episodes. CORDIS Forschungsergebnisse der EU.
https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/248545/de

Healthier together – The EU Non-Communicable Diseases Initiative

Healthier together – The EU Non-Communicable Diseases Initiative

Did you know that every year, 41 million people die from non-communicable diseases (71% of all deaths worldwide) and that over 15 million people out of those are only aged 30-69 [1]?

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are defined as chronic health conditions that have “genetic, lifestyle, or environmental causes rather than viral or bacterial” ones [2]. NCDs are not contagious, but they do result in long-term health issues and often require long-term treatment and care [2]. Apart from diseases such as cancer or diabetes, mental disorders also fall into the category of non-communicable diseases [1]. 

In a previous blog post, we explored approaches taken to improve mental health in Denmark. But what are we actually doing on an EU level to ease the burden of mental illness on our international societies?

The  EU Non-Communicable Diseases Initiative
In order to fight non-communicable diseases and support the people suffering from them, the European Commission has launched the Healthier together – EU Non-Communicable Diseases Initiative (EU NCD Initiative), aimed at covering the period from 2022 to 2027. The main objective of this initiative is “to support EU countries in identifying and implementing effective policies and actions to reduce the burden of major non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and improve citizens’ health and well-being.” [3].

One of the five strands covered by the initiative is mental health and neurological disorders.
The EU NCD Initiative aims at mental health and well-being promotion, improved prevention and treatment of mental disorders, and better support for individuals suffering from mental health problems. In order to accomplish this, a need for setting up improved “supportive structures, mechanisms and processes for integrated policies and actions to support mental health” has been defined [3].

Collaborative action on mental health and neurological disorders
The European Commission has suggested several “work packages” on mental health and neurological disorders, with the goal to reduce the burden of mental illness on our international society. Possible priority areas defined include:

  • Adopting a mental health-in-all-policies approach: Overall creation of favourable conditions addressing environmental and social determinants for better mental health 
  • Focusing on mental health promotion and mental illness prevention, e.g. by supporting “the development of social and emotional skills in childhood” [3] and by preventing burnout and stress at the workplace
  • Improving the provision of access to high-quality mental health services, e.g. by increasing the capacity in order to meet the growing need for mental health support
  • Tackling stigma against mental health conditions and enhancing the social inclusion of individuals suffering from poor mental health

Digitalization needs to become a priority
According to Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, “personnel shortages [and] insufficient recruitment and retention […] are blighting health systems” [4].

While the need to hire more trained professionals is undoubtedly critical to improve mental health services, this may also be an opportunity for scalable technologies to improve the reach of the current workforce to serve the needs of patients waiting to receive care.

Surprisingly, when being asked to indicate overall priority areas across the different strands covered by the NCD initiative, only two EU countries (specify which) endorsed “digital tools to support health promotion, disease prevention and management” as a priority area [3].

In contrast, a large study by Elsevier Health (2022) shows that 77% of international clinicians expect tech companies to become “key stakeholders in managing healthcare systems in 10 years”, and that the majority of clinicians (70%) believe an increased use of digital technologies will transform healthcare positively [5].

The use of digital technology offers the potential to address challenges in European mental health services. In particular, the use of digital platforms for remote patient monitoring and health assessment could improve access and speed to care, and real-time patient analytics could enable personalised treatment and improved quality of care [5]. 

In summary, the EU Non-Communicable Diseases Initiative has ambitious goals to provide better mental health services to more people. However, with the majority of EU countries not endorsing “digital tools to support health promotion, disease prevention and management” [3] as a priority area, raising awareness about the potential of digital health is highly important if these goals are to be achieved.
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About Monsenso
Monsenso is an innovative technology company offering a digital health solution used for decentralised trials, remote patient monitoring and treatment support. Our mission is to contribute to improved health for more people at lower costs by supporting treatment digitally and leveraging patient-reported outcomes data. Our solution helps optimise the treatment and gives a detailed overview of an individual’s health through the collection of outcome, adherence, and behavioural data. It connects individuals, carers, and health care providers to enable personalised treatment, remote care, and early intervention. We collaborate with health and social care, pharmaceuticals, and leading researcher worldwide in our endeavours to deliver solutions that fit into the life of patients and health care professionals. To learn more visit  www.monsenso.com.

References:
[1] World Health Organization (2021). Noncommunicable diseases. 
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/noncommunicable-diseases

[2] WebMD (n.d.). What Is Non-Communicable Disease?
https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/what-is-non-communicable-disease

[3] European Commission (2022). Healthier Together – EU non-Communicable Disease Initiative.
https://health.ec.europa.eu/non-communicable-diseases/healthier-together-eu-non-communicable-diseases-initiative_en

[4] World Health Organization (2022). Ticking timebomb: Without immediate action, health and care workforce gaps in the European Region could spell disaster.
https://www.who.int/europe/news/item/14-09-2022-ticking-timebomb–without-immediate-action–health-and-care-workforce-gaps-in-the-european-region-could-spell-disaster

[5] Elsevier Health (2022). Clinician of the Future Report 2022.
https://www.elsevier.com/connect/clinician-of-the-future

Monsenso signs contract with private Danish psychiatric clinic Appia Klinikken in Søborg

Monsenso signs contract with private Danish psychiatric clinic Appia Klinikken in Søborg

Monsenso signs a contract with the private Danish psychiatric clinic Appia Klinikken in Søborg, Zealand. The Monsenso digital health solution will be implemented at the beginning of 2023 and will be used to support patients and clinicians at the clinic.

Appia Klinikken is a Danish specialist psychiatric clinic offering treatment and support to individuals suffering from mental illness. Though the clinic has a focus on child and adolescent mental health, it offers treatment to individuals of all age groups.

The team of psychologists and psychiatrists at Appia Klinikken is led by specialist psychiatrist Mie Bonde, who “is professionally recognized for her holistic approach and for her work with clients with ADHD and/or ASD diagnoses, as well as clients with abuse combined with diagnosis(es)” [1].

The Monsenso solution will be used at Appia Klinikken for two different purposes. Primarily, the Monsenso solution will be used to screen patients while they are waiting for treatment and to monitor them during treatment. Secondly, the Monsenso solution will be used to collect data for effect documentation of a newly established type of treatment called “hypnotherapy” and for use of medication.

Specialist psychiatrist Mie Bonde says: “The Monsenso digital health solution will not only enable us to support patients more actively during treatment, but also to give patients information on how to reduce stress while they are still waiting to receive treatment. Waiting lists are something we cannot avoid entirely, but tools like the Monsenso solution enable us to make them more proactive”.
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About Monsenso
Monsenso is an innovative technology company offering a digital health solution used for decentralised trials, remote patient monitoring and treatment support. Our mission is to contribute to improved health for more people at lower costs by supporting treatment digitally and leveraging patient-reported outcomes data. Our solution helps optimise the treatment and gives a detailed overview of an individual’s health through the collection of outcome, adherence, and behavioural data. It connects individuals, carers, and health care providers to enable personalised treatment, remote care, and early intervention. We collaborate with health and social care, pharmaceuticals, and leading researcher worldwide in our endeavours to deliver solutions that fit into the life of patients and health care professionals. To learn more visit  www.monsenso.com.

References:
[1] Appia Klinikken (n.d.). Appia Klinikken – Vejenes dronning.
https://www.appia-klinikken.dk/

Digital health as a support tool for waiting lists in mental health services

Digital health as a support tool for waiting lists in mental health services

The need for mental health support is growing in Europe, and waiting lists are becoming longer as mental health services struggle to meet the demand. But are additional human resources really the answer to these problems, or do we maybe need to search for new solutions?

In Denmark, over 500.000 Danish citizens currently live with one or multiple mental health disorders [1] and approximately half of the Danish population will suffer from a mental illness at least once in their lifetime [2]. 

The need for mental health support is thus at an all-time high. However, the average waiting time to see a psychologist in Denmark is around 16 weeks, and in many cases, patients easily wait up to 20 weeks before their first treatment [3]. 

New studies have found that every 10th person needing psychological support in Denmark decides not to seek help due to the long waiting lists. Amongst young people, this number is even higher: In the last three years, every 5th young person who needed psychological treatment decided not to seek help due to long waiting times [4].

In the UK, waiting times for psychological help are almost equally as long as in Denmark. According to research by the Royal College of Psychiatrists, almost a quarter (23%) of adults suffering from mental illness in the UK face waiting times of over 12 weeks before receiving treatment. Recently, it has thus been reported that individuals with mental illness waiting for treatment increasingly turn to the A&E or even dial 999 in desperate need of help [5].

Research has found waiting lists in mental health services to be “associated with negative psychological and physiological responses such as anxiety and stress”, which usually worsen the longer an individual suffering from mental illness needs to wait for treatment [6]. 

The lack of resources in mental health services is hence a problem that needs to be tackled urgently [2] – but it is unlikely that enough healthcare professionals can be hired in the short term to address this problem. 

This is where digital technologies can play an important role in supporting people waiting for mental health treatment. Digital health solutions for mental health, for instance, offer the potential to screen individuals while they are still on the waiting list. Additionally, digital health solutions can provide individuals with useful tools and psychoeducational material to better manage their mental health while they are waiting to receive care. 

Everyone deserves access to mental healthcare. The integration of digital solutions in healthcare bears huge potential, and it needs to happen timely. There is never a better time to act.
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About Monsenso
Monsenso is an innovative technology company offering a digital health solution used for decentralised trials, remote patient monitoring and treatment support. Our mission is to contribute to improved health for more people at lower costs by supporting treatment digitally and leveraging patient-reported outcomes data. Our solution helps optimise the treatment and gives a detailed overview of an individual’s health through the collection of outcome, adherence, and behavioural data. It connects individuals, carers, and health care providers to enable personalised treatment, remote care, and early intervention. We collaborate with health and social care, pharmaceuticals, and leading researcher worldwide in our endeavours to deliver solutions that fit into the life of patients and health care professionals. To learn more visit  www.monsenso.com.

References:
[1] EN AF OS (n.d.). About EN AF OS. Sundhedsstyrelsen.
http://www.en-af-os.dk/da/English/About-us#:~:text=Statistically%2C%201%20in%205%20Danes,they%20will%20get%20well%20again.

[2] Sundhedsstyrelsen (2022). Fagligt oplæg til en 10-årsplan.
https://www.sst.dk/da/Udgivelser/2022/Fagligt-oplaeg-til-en-10-aarsplan

[3] Kofoed et al. (2022). Millioner til psykologhjælp forbliver ubrugte trods rekordlange ventetider. DR.
https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/politik/kommunalvalg/millioner-til-psykologhjaelp-forbliver-ubrugte-trods-rekordlange

[4] Gjensidige Forsikring (2022). Lang ventetid får mange til at droppe besøg hos læge, tandlæge og psykolog. Ritzau.
https://via.ritzau.dk/pressemeddelelse/lang-ventetid-far-mange-til-at-droppe-besog-hos-laege-tandlaege-og-psykolog?publisherId=9709319&releaseId=13657774

[5] Gregory, A. (2022). Patients turning to A&E as wait times for NHS mental health treatment spiral. The Guardian.
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/oct/10/nhs-mental-health-patients-wait-times

[6] Punton, G., Dodd, A.L. & McNeill, A. (2022). ‘You’re on the waiting list’: An interpretive phenomenological analysis of young adults’ experiences of waiting lists within mental health services in the UK. PLoS ONE, 17(3).
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0265542​​