IAPT

MEDIA ALERT: WEBINAR: Revolutionizing Mental Health Treatment: Dr. David Clark on the Power of Measurement-Based Care

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, July 11, 2023

Dr. David Clark and his colleagues led the development of the NHS Talking Therapies program (formerly known as IAPT), vastly improving the availability and quality of evidence-based psychological therapies across the UK.

Key Points: 
  • Dr. David Clark and his colleagues led the development of the NHS Talking Therapies program (formerly known as IAPT), vastly improving the availability and quality of evidence-based psychological therapies across the UK.
  • The NHS Talk Therapies program leveraged Measurement-Based Care (consistent outcome measurement) within a stepped-care treatment model to revolutionize the mental health service model within the UK.
  • NHS Talking Therapies has received global recognition for its leadership in setting the standard for evidence-based mental health care and for improving the population’s overall mental health recovery rate.
  • The first event, ‘Revolutionizing Mental Health Treatment: Dr. David Clark on the Power of Measurement-Based Care ’ is now open for registration .

It’s 4 years since the NZ government pledged $1.9 billion for better mental health services – why are we still waiting?

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, June 21, 2023

In 2019 the New Zealand government committed an unprecedented NZ$1.9 billion to improving mental health services.

Key Points: 
  • In 2019 the New Zealand government committed an unprecedented NZ$1.9 billion to improving mental health services.
  • This announcement brought hope to a sector that had been treated like the second-class citizen of the health service for decades.

Where did the money go?

    • Almost a quarter of the funding has gone to health improvement practitioners (HIPs) and health coaches based within general medical practices.
    • The aim of these practitioners and coaches is to give fast and early access to people presenting to their general practitioner (GP) with mental health concerns.

Robbing Peter to pay Paul

    • This investment approach by the government has several problems, which mean the country’s collective mental health needs have not been successfully addressed.
    • Many nurses and psychologists have taken up practitioner roles, meaning we have robbed Peter to pay Paul as clinicians move from one area of the mental health sector to another.
    • For example, there is a growing body of local and international research highlighting the relationship of micronutrients and what we eat to our mental health.

Going global for ideas

    • Unsurprisingly, Aotearoa New Zealand is not the only country to be grappling with high demand for mental health services.
    • We can learn from what other countries are doing in response to gaps in their services.
    • The United Kingdom, for example, has attempted to address its own mental health services shortfall with a programme called Increasing Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT).

Real action is long overdue

    • The government’s singular focus on one or two new mental health initiatives has been at the expense of training programmes.
    • To give the government its due, there has been some recent investment in clinical psychology training but it feels like an afterthought.
    • Nonetheless, looking at our mental health system in 2023 it feels like very little progress has been made.

Huma acquires iPLATO Healthcare to advance digital-first delivery of care and remote patient monitoring for NHS patients

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, January 20, 2022

However, remote patient monitoring is still not used widely in primary care.

Key Points: 
  • However, remote patient monitoring is still not used widely in primary care.
  • Dan Vahdat, CEO & Founder of Huma, said: "We are part of the movement using remote patient monitoring and digital biomarkers to transform healthcare.
  • Bringing our patient questionnaires together with Huma's remote patient monitoring capability means that this future is not too far away."
  • We are developing digital biomarkers, predictive algorithms and real-world data from continuous patient monitoring to advance proactive, predictive care.

Study Demonstrates Combining Digital Therapeutics for Insomnia and IAPT Therapy Improves Sleep, Anxiety, and Depression More Than Therapy Alone

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, September 1, 2021

Additionally, participants using Sleepio reduced their utilisation of high-intensity IAPT treatment, including personalised therapy delivered by mental health professionals.

Key Points: 
  • Additionally, participants using Sleepio reduced their utilisation of high-intensity IAPT treatment, including personalised therapy delivered by mental health professionals.
  • Recovery rates from standardised IAPT measures used to capture symptoms of anxiety (GAD-7) and depression (PHQ-9) were 65 percent for Sleepio users, versus 58 percent in the control group who received IAPT alone.
  • Reflecting on the pandemic, increasingly we'll need more scalable, evidenced digital interventions to augment our services, making care more efficient and effective.
  • Poor sleep is rarely specifically addressed in primary care or mental health services, but clinical evidence shows that insomnia significantly impacts comorbid mental health conditions including depression and anxiety.