Digitalization could help tackle the issue of lacking resources in mental health services

Digitalization could help tackle the issue of lacking resources in mental health services

Did you know that over 500.000 Danish citizens currently live with one or multiple mental health disorders [1] and that approximately half of the Danish population will suffer from a mental illness at least once in their lifetime [2]?

Mental health is declining in Denmark [2]. However, treatments and services offered to people with mental disorders often lack quality compared to those offered to people with physical disorders [2]. One of the reasons is a clear shortage of resources. 

Lack of resources as a challenge in Danish mental health services
Recruiting and retaining mental health professionals, in social psychiatry, regional psychiatry, and specialised social services focusing on children and youths [2] has been a significant struggle in recent years.

In Region South, for example, only 8 out of 21 open job positions for psychologists could be filled at the beginning of the year. In Region Zealand, it was even less: 11 applicants for 22 advertised positions, and 6 suitable candidates hired [3].

There are several assumptions for why it is so challenging to recruit mental health professionals. One of them is that we are currently experiencing a generational shift, with many healthcare professionals retiring at the same time [3].

The insufficient capacity and availability led many individuals suffering from mental illness to not receive the right treatment at the right time [2]. The average waiting time to see a psychologist in Denmark is around 16 weeks – but in many cases, patients easily wait up to 20 weeks before their first treatment [4]. 

This limited capacity also reduces the possibility of early detection and interventions. Insufficient preventive measures are a major cause of high mortality rates amongst individuals suffering from severe mental illnesses in Denmark [2].

Approaches to improve mental health services in Denmark
In order to make the quality and availability of mental health services a top priority, the Danish government decided to initiate working on a 10-year plan for the development of psychiatry in 2020, setting aside 600 million Danish Kroner annually for the improvement of mental health care in Denmark. [2].

Recommendations for the long-term plan include the expansion of easily accessible offers for mental health services in Danish municipalities (including improved offers for children and young adolescents), increased country-wide mental health promotion, and better early detection of mental illness [2]. 

None of these goals will be properly implemented if Denmark is still facing a lack of resources. But 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.

Digitalization as the key to improved mental health services?
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].

Many healthcare professionals therefore expect that digital technologies and remote monitoring tools could help them to handle the growing patient data volumes they are currently feeling overwhelmed with [5]. 

The current recommendations for the psychiatric 10-year plan acknowledge that digital solutions can facilitate making better use of resources available in the future, and ensure the capacity meets the growing demand for mental health services. The use of digital technology offers the potential to address challenges in Danish 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]. 

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 (2022). Der er mangel på psykologer over hele landet – og det kan især gå ud over unge. DR.
https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/indland/der-er-mangel-paa-psykologer-over-hele-landet-og-det-kan-isaer-gaa-ud-over-unge

[4] 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

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

Monsenso expands to Israel as part of a real-world evidence project in pharma

Monsenso expands to Israel as part of a real-world evidence project in pharma

Monsenso is translating its digital health app to Hebrew and Russian as part of a real-world evidence project with a pharmaceutical customer in Israel.

Monsenso’s digital health solution is translated to Hebrew and Russian and will be implemented in Israel as part of a project, where it will be used to collect real-world patient-reported health data and data from connected wearables to support evidence generation for a specific drug.

With these recent additions, Monsenso’s digital health solution is now available in 19 countries and 12 languages.

The project is a great example of the relevance of Monsenso’s solution to help pharmaceuticals generate the evidence necessary to support regulatory approval and reimbursement dialogues. It helps pave the way to provide Monsenso’s solution internationally to customers wishing to collect valuable, longitudinal patient data via daily self-reports, periodic clinical questionnaires as well as sensor data from phones and connected wearables to support studies and clinical practice.

CEO Thomas Lethenborg says: “We are excited to continue our success in the pharmaceutical market and offer our digital health solution in more languages and countries going forward, thus enabling even more individuals globally to better take care of their mental health”.

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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.

Monsenso will be working with Australian mental health clinic

Monsenso will be working with Australian mental health clinic

Monsenso will be working with the mental health clinic Aware Family Wellness in Australia.

Aware Family Wellness focuses on providing outpatient treatment to individuals in all age groups across a broad range of mental disorders, such as depression and perinatal depression, anxiety, eating disorders, complex trauma, and others.

Patients will be offered the Monsenso digital health solution as part of the treatment at the clinic, with the overall aim to better prepare patients for consultations, enhance the probability of correct and timely diagnosis and treatment, and thereby reduce the number of admissions and the probability of serious illness.

Founder and Accredited Mental Health Social Worker, Amy Ware says: “We are looking forward to using the Monsenso digital health solution to support our patients even more actively, and offering them a solution that provides them with self-help tools and psychoeducational material, enabling them to take better care of their mental health outside of treatment sessions”.

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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.

Our future tech-savvy clinicians: What can we expect and how do we get there?

Our future tech-savvy clinicians: What can we expect and how do we get there?

It is no secret that our world is constantly changing towards becoming more digitized, and so is healthcare. Earlier, we discussed the top pain points in the delivery of mental healthcare and how digital technology can help. Now, we want to look at the clinicians of the future – how tech-savvy will they need to be, and what are the main benefits and challenges they expect to face in relation to digital solutions?

Where are we today?
The digital era has arrived in today’s healthcare settings. A large study by Elsevier Health (2022), involving over 2800 clinicians and nurses from 111 markets, found that 88% of clinicians acknowledge the significantly growing importance of being technologically literate compared to 10 years ago [1].

Today’s electronic medical records (EMRs) can store large amounts of patient information. However, they also cause frustrations among clinicians. Many healthcare professionals report that contemporary EMR systems are too time-consuming due to the need for frequent manual data inputting, significantly adding to their already heavy caseloads [1]. Additionally, it has been found that as many as 69% of clinicians record feeling overwhelmed with handling the “growing volume of patient data” [1].

What are the drivers of change?
Covid-19 has particularly shown the relevance and benefits of real-world data (RWD) collected in real-time. During the pandemic, “data took center stage”, and many patients became more comfortable with their data being utilized “in informing decisions” [1]. In addition, patients are becoming more empowered globally, and many are utilizing digital health applications to better manage their own health [1].

What can we expect in the future?
The Elsevier Health study (2022) shows that 77% of 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 [1].
Most clinicians (79%) therefore also expect future EMRs to integrate a variety of data sources, such as “patient consumer health app data” [1]. The integration of digital solutions in future EMRs is expected to be beneficial for its potential to help clinicians communicate with their patients more effectively and make more informed clinical decisions. Importantly, healthcare professionals believe digital technologies and remote monitoring tools could help them to handle the growing patient data volumes they are currently feeling overwhelmed with [1].

How do we get there?
67% of clinicians agree “they will need to become experts in the use of [digital technologies] in the future” [1]. However, many clinicians (83%) do not feel sufficiently tech-savvy currently. Thus, they will need the right access, support, and education. One of the key focus points, therefore, needs to be giving clinicians training and confidence in their ability to use digital technologies [1], as these will only be effective in healthcare if clinicians are adept at using them.

How Monsenso enables clinicians on the path to digitalization
Monsenso is a digital health company that enables better outcomes for patients and clinicians through data-driven decisions. We are focused on mental health and user-centred in designing our solutions for patients and clinicians. Easing clinicians’ workloads by providing them with a better overview of their patients’ data and conditions is one of our priorities when working with healthcare professionals. When clinicians use our solution, they are not being left alone. In-depth workshops during the planning and implementation phase ensure clinicians will feel 100% comfortable and confident in using the Monsenso solution, and our friendly support team provides help whenever needed. Our cloud-based platform is a CE-marked medical device (Class 1, pending Class 2a and MDR certification) that is HIPAA compliant, with certifications in ISO 13485, ISO 27001, and Cyber Essentials. Our solution has been clinically and scientifically validated by over 70+ peer-reviewed studies and can be configured for applications across mental health conditions. We work with healthcare systems, life sciences and research organisations globally. Book a demo to learn more.

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

UK National Schizophrenia Awareness Day 2022 – A mental illness in need of destigmatization

UK National Schizophrenia Awareness Day 2022 – A mental illness in need of destigmatization

July 25th is National Schizophrenia Awareness Day in the UK, aiming at shining light on “what it means to live with this much misunderstood and often stigmatized mental health condition”, fighting prejudice surrounding it, as well as seeking to raise awareness of and support for its treatment [1].

What is schizophrenia?
Individuals with schizophrenia experience disruptions in their thought processes and perceptions, as well as in social interactions and emotional responsiveness. The mental illness, usually including psychotic symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations, can be highly disabling to people suffering from it [2].

Economic costs of schizophrenia
Worldwide, around 24 million people are currently diagnosed with schizophrenia [3] – in the UK it is over 685.000 people (approximately 1% of the population) [4].
Schizophrenia has a large economic cost. It accounts for approximately “30% of all spending on adult mental health in the NHS” [5], estimated at 11.8 million GBP in England alone in 2012 [6]. Generally, it costs around 6 times as much to treat an individual with schizophrenia over its lifetime than it costs to treat a heart disease patient [5].

Stigmatization of schizophrenia
Schizophrenia affects all genders and individuals from all social backgrounds, and onsets most often in the late teenage years or in the early twenties [5]. The mental illness severely impacts affected peoples’ quality of life. In the UK, only around 13% of individuals suffering from schizophrenia are working [5], and it has been found that affected people are “2 to 3 times more likely to die early than the general population” [3]. Schizophrenia is also a significant burden that impacts productivity of family caregivers, who on average spend 22 hours a week for 15 years of their life taking care of their relative with schizophrenia.
Additionally, stigma against people suffering from the condition is still “intense and widespread” today [3]. Individuals with schizophrenia oftentimes experience social exclusion, and/or discrimination due to the disease, and some even experience limited “access to general health care, education, housing, and employment” [3]. According to the World Health Organization (2022), these issues often only exacerbate the suffering peoples’ symptoms [3].

What needs to change?
Schizophrenia is not as rare as one might think, and prejudices surrounding the illness unfortunately only further increase the burden of the disease on people suffering from it. It is therefore important to raise awareness about schizophrenia, destigmatize the mental illness, and help to ensure that individuals with schizophrenia are not facing discrimination. Given the high economic costs of schizophrenia, it is also important to continuously work on improving the treatment support provided. This includes seeking for new ways to help individuals suffering from the mental health condition.

How digital solutions for mental health can help
The use of digital platforms for remote patient monitoring and health assessment, as well as real-time patient analytics, could enable personalised treatment and improved quality of care [7]. Digital solutions for mental health could therefore offer the potential to empower and engage individuals with schizophrenia to better manage their mental health, facilitating treatment for clinical professionals and empowering family caregivers to help drive down economic costs and increase productivity.
At Monsenso, we have worked with schizophrenia in both research and clinical settings. Our digital mental health solution has helped many individuals with schizophrenia to better understand their conditions and live a more independent life, as well as helped clinicians to better support their patients. We are proud to support the National Schizophrenia Awareness Day in the UK and will continue to spread knowledge about the mental health condition 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] Awareness Days (n.d.). National Schizophrenia Awareness Day 2022.
https://www.awarenessdays.com/awareness-days-calendar/national-schizophrenia-awareness-day-2022/#:~:text=National%20Schizophrenia%20Awareness%20Day%2C%20marked,with%20a%20diagnosis%20of%20schizophrenia.

[2] National Institute of Mental Health (n.d.). Schizophrenia.
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/schizophrenia#:~:text=Schizophrenia-,Definition,be%20both%20severe%20and%20disabling.

[3] World Health Organization (2022). Schizophrenia.
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/schizophrenia#:~:text=Schizophrenia%20affects%20approximately%2024%20million,%25

[4] Royal College of Psychiatrists (2015). Schizophrenia.
https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mental-health/problems-disorders/schizophrenia

[5] Living With Schizophrenia (2017). Facts and Figures.
https://livingwithschizophreniauk.org/facts-and-figures/

[6] Ride, J., Kasteridis, P., Gutacker, N., Aragon Aragon, MJ., Jacobs, R. (2020). Healthcare Costs for People with Serious Mental Illness in England: An Analysis of Costs Across Primary Care, Hospital Care, and Specialist Mental Healthcare. Appl Health Econ Health Policy 18(2):177-188.
doi: 10.1007/s40258-019-00530-2.

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