Abstract
BackgroundHealth information technologies (HITs) are becoming increasingly recognized for their potential to provide innovative solutions to improve the delivery of mental health services and drive system reforms for better outcomes.ObjectiveThis paper describes the baseline results of a study designed to systematically monitor and evaluate the impact of implementing an HIT, namely the InnoWell Platform, into Australian mental health services to facilitate the iterative refinement of the HIT and the service model in which it is embedded to meet the needs of consumers and their supportive others as well as health professionals and service providers.MethodsData were collected via web-based surveys, semistructured interviews, and a workshop with staff from the mental health services implementing the InnoWell Platform to systematically monitor and evaluate its impact. Descriptive statistics, Fisher exact tests, and a reliability analysis were used to characterize the findings from the web-based surveys, including variability in the results between the services. Semistructured interviews were coded using a thematic analysis, and workshop data were coded using a basic content analysis.ResultsBaseline data were collected from the staff of 3 primary youth mental health services (n=18), a counseling service for veterans and their families (n=23), and a helpline for consumers affected by eating disorders and negative body image issues (n=6). As reported via web-based surveys, staff members across the services consistently agreed or strongly agreed that there was benefit associated with using technology as part of their work (38/47, 81%) and that the InnoWell Platform had the potential to improve outcomes for consumers (27/45, 60%); however, there was less certainty as to whether their consumers’ capability to use technology aligned with how the InnoWell Platform would be used as part of their mental health care (11/45, 24% of the participants strongly disagreed or disagreed; 15/45, 33% were neutral; and 19/45, 42% strongly agreed or agreed). During the semistructured interviews (n=3) and workshop, participants consistently indicated that the InnoWell Platform was appropriate for their respective services; however, they questioned whether the services’ respective consumers had the digital literacy required to use the technology. Additional potential barriers to implementation included health professionals’ digital literacy and service readiness for change.ConclusionsDespite agreement among participants that HITs have the potential to result in improved outcomes for consumers and services, service readiness for change (eg, existing technology infrastructure and the digital literacy of staff and consumers) was noted to potentially impact the success of implementation, with less than half (20/45, 44%) of the participants indicating that their service was ready to implement new technologies to enhance mental health care. Furthermore, participants reported mixed opinions as to whether it was their responsibility to recommend technology as part of standard care.
Highlights
Mental Health Services ReformDespite more than two decades of effort toward mental health services reform, the Australian system remains to be fraught with shortcomings, including service fragmentation [1], limitations in access [2], and deficient accountability based on outcomes [3]
Despite agreement among participants that Health information technologies (HITs) have the potential to result in improved outcomes for consumers and services, service readiness for change was noted to potentially impact the success of implementation, with less than half (20/45, 44%) of the participants indicating that their service was ready to implement new technologies to enhance mental health care
A total of 50 staff members from 3 headspace centers (Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour, and Lismore; n=18), Butterfly Foundation’s National Helpline (n=8), and Open Arms–Veterans and Families Counselling (Sydney; n=24) who were trained to use the InnoWell Platform as part of standard service delivery consented to participate in the impact evaluation study
Summary
Mental Health Services ReformDespite more than two decades of effort toward mental health services reform, the Australian system remains to be fraught with shortcomings, including service fragmentation [1], limitations in access [2], and deficient accountability based on outcomes [3]. With an eye toward system reform, the Fifth National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan [4] highlights the need to foster and facilitate enablers for effective system performance and improvement. Health information technologies (HITs) are increasingly being recognized as a way to support and drive mental health services reform, enabling the delivery of evidence-based interventions via the internet to complement or augment traditional face-to-face and existing web-based services to improve health outcomes [5]. Successful implementation is facilitated by effective education and training of health professionals, which nurtures self-efficacy and capacity in the context of continuous on-the-ground support [12,13,14,15]. Health information technologies (HITs) are becoming increasingly recognized for their potential to provide innovative solutions to improve the delivery of mental health services and drive system reforms for better outcomes
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