Digitalization in mental health care. New opportunities for specialists and patients

Abstract

Digitalization – is one of the most promising trends of the healthcare system transformation, including mental health care. Telemedicine opportunities allow to improve health care system, to resolve the problem of the qualified specialist’s deficit and provide the remote territories with appropriate medical care, it also provides education possibilities for the mental health specialists from all over Russia offering continual training opportunities. Digital technologies can help substantially improve the science data collection in the field of mental health, remote access ensures patient enrollment from the different regions of the country, it allows to make the measures in the typical patient’s environment, data accumulated with the help of digital assistants open the new possibilities in the study of mental disorders. Digital behavior and behavior in the digital environment became the new research objectives in the field of mental health. Problem internet use with the behavior addiction development is in the research focus of the researchers aimed to elaborate early intervention and prevention programs. The use of the computerized programs, gamification, VR and mobile apps possibilities should become the essential part of the medical care provision in the field of mental health with the hybrid models implementation where the patient will have the option to choose individualized treatment program with the optimal ratio between digital and classic treatments options. Digital technologies should take their place in the prevention and mental health sustenance in the nearest future.