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Implementing a digital health model of care in Australian youth mental health services: protocol for impact evaluation
- Source :
- BMC Health Services Research, Vol 21, Iss 1, Pp 1-9 (2021), BMC Health Services Research
- Publication Year :
- 2021
- Publisher :
- BMC, 2021.
-
Abstract
- Background The World Economic Forum has recently highlighted substantial problems in mental health service provision and called for the rapid deployment of smarter, digitally-enhanced health services as a means to facilitate effective care coordination and address issues of demand. In mental health, the biggest enabler of digital solutions is the implementation of an effective model of care that is facilitated by integrated health information technologies (HITs); the latter ensuring the solution is easily accessible, scalable and sustainable. The University of Sydney’s Brain and Mind Centre (BMC) has developed an innovative digital health solution – delivered through the Youth Mental Health and Technology Program – which incorporates two components: 1) a highly personalised and measurement-based (data-driven) model of youth mental health care; and 2) an industrial grade HIT registered on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods. This paper describes a research protocol to evaluate the impact of implementing the BMC’s digital health solution into youth mental health services (i.e. headspace - a highly accessible, youth-friendly integrated service that responds to the mental health, physical health, alcohol or other substance use, and vocational concerns of young people aged 12 to 25 years) within urban and regional areas of Australia. Methods The digital health solution will be implemented into participating headspace centres using a naturalistic research design. Quantitative and qualitative data will be collected from headspace health professionals, service managers and administrators, as well as from lead agency and local Primary Health Network (PHN) staff, via service audits, Implementation Officer logs, online surveys, and semi-structured interviews, at baseline and then three-monthly intervals over the course of 12 months. Discussion At the time of publication, six headspace centres had been recruited to this study and had commenced implementation and impact evaluation. The first results are expected to be submitted for publication in 2021. This study will focus on the impact of implementing a digital health solution at both a service and staff level, and will evaluate digital readiness of service and staff adoption; quality, usability and acceptability of the solution by staff; staff self-reported clinical competency; overall impact on headspace centres as well as their lead agencies and local PHNs; and social return on investment.
- Subjects :
- Adult
medicine.medical_specialty
020205 medical informatics
Adolescent
Health information technology
Health Personnel
Digital health solution
02 engineering and technology
Health informatics
Health administration
Study Protocol
03 medical and health sciences
Young Adult
0302 clinical medicine
0202 electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering
eHealth
medicine
Humans
030212 general & internal medicine
Child
Medical education
business.industry
Health Policy
Nursing research
Public health
Australia
Digital health
Mental health
Mental health services
Adolescent Health Services
Implementation
Young people
Public aspects of medicine
RA1-1270
business
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 14726963
- Volume :
- 21
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- BMC Health Services Research
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....9633a77e8bcdd7f0b028179f1acaf36a