ORCHA (The Organisation for the Review of Care and Health Apps) is thrilled to announce that the first cohort of mental health apps assessed with the MHCC Assessment Framework for Mental Health Apps will now carry a distinct badge symbolizing their achievement for meeting high standards of data, privacy, clinical evidence, usability, accessibility and cultural safety.
This recognition marks a significant milestone in MHCC’s commitment to enhancing digital mental health solutions for people in Canada.
This announcement is the result of more than 2.5 years of dedicated work, during which the MHCC has developed a national digital mental health assessment and evaluation framework. ORCHA, a proud partner in this evaluation process, played a vital role in assessing these digital mental health tools with the MHCC Assessment Framework.
This framework provides a robust and efficient method to rigorously assess digital mental health tools, ensuring they meet essential requirements across key areas. By doing so, MHCC is helping to instill trust across the digital mental health ecosystem, allowing people in Canada to have confidence in the tools they choose to support their mental health and well-being.
Products that pass the assessment will be listed in the MHCC Mental Health Apps Repository. This internal portal serves as a central hub for collaborators, such as providers and policymakers, to explore and adopt assessed digital mental health technologies.
MHCC assessed apps will be made available to the public via provincial app libraries with some provinces soon. The MHCC is also planning the launch of a national mental health app library in 2025.
The first batch of assessed products includes:
For more information on how to get involved or to learn more about the MHCC Assessment Framework for Mental Health Apps, please contact: Jack Hewitt at ‘jack.hewitt@orchahealth.com’ or Sapna Wadhawan at swadhawan@mentalhealthcommission.ca.
Let’s hear from Justine about her experience with Dexcoms Continuous Glucose Monitoring Systems…
Over the past year, I’ve had the opportunity to test some of Dexcom’s Continuous Glucose Monitoring Systems (CGM) as part of my work assessing the functionality, clinical assurance, data privacy and usability & accessibility of digital health technologies.
Though I don’t have diabetes myself, I was impressed at how straightforward the system was to set up and use. The sensor was easy to use and insert, with minimal discomfort to no pain and the app set up was a breeze for both the iOS and the Android versions. Alternatively, if using a smartphone is out of the question, Dexcom offer an optional receiver that seamlessly connects to the device and displays your data. The simple interface of the app and the customisable alerts ensure a streamlined user experience. Once I got to work on the assessment, I forgot it was even on my arm!
It was clear from the moment I began the different assessments how intuitive and rigorously tested these CGM systems are. Research has shown that continuous glucose monitoring with Dexcom can lead to significant improvements in diabetes management such as an increased time in range, improvements in hypoglycaemia, reduced HbA1c levels and positive changes in diabetes self-management.
Having family members who suffer with both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, I couldn’t help but reflect on how a tool like this could make a huge difference to their lives and shake the burden of constant finger pricks and manual blood glucose monitoring. I have seen firsthand the complications and issues that arise with unmonitored diabetes, but with a system like Dexcom, the heavy weight is lifted, and it allows patients to take proactive control in monitoring their diabetes. The ability to monitor glucose levels seamlessly and in real-time offers the potential for better self-management, reduced stress and an improved quality of life for people who must carefully manage their diabetes 24/7.
Our CEO, Liz Ashall-Payne also lives with Type 1 diabetes and shares her experience; “As someone who has lived with type 1 diabetes for a long time, I’ve become accustomed to using technology to manage my condition day-to-day. What’s particularly interesting is how my use of technology has evolved over time. Yes, advancements in products have played a role, but equally important are the changes in my own needs and preferences.”
For example, when I was newly diagnosed, my focus was on gaining information and education to understand and manage my diabetes. During pregnancy, my needs shifted to more specialized support for that specific stage of life. Now, I rely on data dashboards to track trends and make informed decisions. Having access to a variety of tools that I can tailor to my current needs and preferences is absolutely invaluable—it empowers me to manage my diabetes in a way that works best for me at every stage of my journey.’
My experience as an outsider trying out some of Dexcom’s different CGM systems has given me a deeper appreciation for the role health technology has in our lives and the potential ability to empower patients to take control of their health. Dexcom’s suite of CGM systems are designed to cater to all patient demographics for users with differing needs. Clarity also provides remote monitoring for clinicians looking to implement scalable technology into their clinical workflows. By providing real-time data and actionable insights, it supports personalised care, enhances patient engagement and streamlines patient populations.
Written by Justine Coburn, Senior Digital Health Assessor & Domain Lead
The LMA student app library, first launched in 2020 helping students across their two sites in Liverpool and London to search for and find, safe health apps according to their health needs.
The LMA app library has recently had the latest ORCHA system upgrade, updated with a brand-new look for the new term in August 2024. The new layout gives students the opportunity to search directly for apps or use the handy carousel topics to choose the area they want to search for safe apps in with a curated list of apps designed to meet the needs of students.
The app library also highlights specific focus areas of support around the academic calendar and will highlight one app of the month the student services team have selected to promote.
Since going live in 2020 there have been almost 5000 site visits and more than 13,000 page views, with clear trends throughout the academic year – ramping up at start of term August/September and reaching a peak over the winter term into the new year. Having app library available on the LMA app allows easy access to the as and when students need it and is always in the palm of their hand as we know some students will want to use this even when they are not on campus during holidays.
2024 has seen the highest increase in downloads of digital health apps through the LMA app library. So far this year downloads are 225% up on 2023.
Most students find the LMA app library directly through the LMA app and the academy’s efforts to promote support to the students through newsletters and digital displays around campus – resulting in many hundreds of direct app downloads, and undoubtedly hundreds more in the background once apps have been discovered through the service. Most of the apps explored and downloaded have centred around supporting mental health, relaxation, fitness, sleep and general wellness and nutrition.
Well done LMA!
At ORCHA, we emphasize the importance of assessing digital health technologies for their safety, efficacy and usability through rigorous frameworks, not only for the patient populations they serve, but also for the healthcare providers recommending these tools. An equally important part of this process involves identifying which digital health apps are the right fit for different patient populations and when is the right time to use them.
On Monday, October 28th 2024, The Peterson Health Technology Institute (PHTI) released its third health technology assessment report on Digital Hypertension Management Solutions. The report highlights the important role digital health solutions play in managing hypertension effectively using the approaches of Blood Pressure Monitoring, Medication Management, and Behaviour Change. The key takeaway of the assessment is that medication management solutions had the most evidence to support clinical benefits, such as a decrease in Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP), long-term savings and improved population health when compared to usual care. The purpose being to guide payers, healthcare organizations and providers on what digital health products have long term benefits and cost savings.
Digital medication management tools are an important component in implementing change in patients with chronic conditions such as hypertension. However, they are just one tool, of many, available to healthcare providers and patients. Chronic Care management should not be approached as one dimensional and requires a multi-layered care model to improve patient outcomes. Healthcare organizations such as Federally Qualified Healthcare Centers (FQHCs) and PCPs must consider socioeconomic factors and health equity when creating Plans of Care for their patients and aiming to improve their health. Not all patients have the same access to care or are at the same stage of their health journey. What about the patient that lives alone in an underserved community who does not have the means to drive 20+ miles to see their PCP regularly? Or the patient who has multiple chronic conditions and is struggling to understand the lifestyle changes they need to make to improve their health? Utilizing digital health apps that promote patient education, encourage behavior change and remotely monitor conditions are crucial foundations for building the patient-provider relationship, improving patient engagement and aid in the overall management of chronic conditions such as hypertension.
Working with healthcare systems to implement digital health strategies that address these differences in patient populations, patient acuity and patient access are crucial to the success of digital health adoption, improved outcomes and cost savings. In addition to Digital Health Formularies and App Libraries, creating toolkits for providers, such as a Digital Health Portfolio, ensures access to a range of safe and effective digital health products that can be chosen based on the individual patient and what they will best respond to. ORCHA Digital Care Pathways guide providers to select the appropriate digital health app for a condition at the right time – meeting the patient where they are in their healthcare journey.
Digital health tools, whether remote monitoring, medication management or behaviour change focused, are effective in managing and improving chronic conditions such as hypertension, if chosen correctly by the provider and used to augment usual care. Healthcare systems and providers must be educated and able to choose from a portfolio of safe and effective digital health apps to ensure they are meeting the needs and situation of all of their patients. Digital Health is not a one-size fits all and ORCHA’s mission is to bring the benefits of these quality apps to patients where and when they need it.
If you would like to find out more about Digital Health Portfolios and Digital Care Pathways and how they can be used to benefit patients click here