Amongst the 3,857 mental health apps available in unregulated app stores, only a small proportion meet ORCHA’s quality threshold.
The impact COVID-19 has on our mental health is expected to last beyond any physical health issues. The virus itself, as well as the measures to safeguard lives that have come with it, have led to a rise in issues that cause mental ill health, such as loneliness, stress, financial worries, stigma and bereavement. And fears of stigma, mean our key workers are still amongst the least likely to engage with traditional mental health services(1).
Mental health apps can help people experiencing anxiety, depression, self-harm, panic attacks and thinking of suicide. There is evidence to show that digital therapies can achieve comparable outcomes to face-to-face therapy(2), when the content is right and supported by a suitably trained therapist. They can be embedded into services, transforming and extending support for patients.
Health apps are convenient and discrete, easily accessed with a tap of the button. Young men and boys in particular are concerned about the stigma of receiving mental health support and say they would prefer online support, advice and counselling(3).
But, amongst the 3,857 mental health apps available in unregulated app stores(4), which ones are the best?
The Organisation for the Review of Care and Health Apps (ORCHA) has reviewed almost 600 mental health apps that help people experiencing anxiety, depression, self-harm, panic attacks, and thinking of suicide. Each app was assessed against more than 260 criteria across Clinical Assurance, Data Privacy, and User Experience.
Of these apps, only 29.6% meet quality thresholds(5); a figure that drops even lower for certain conditions, including:
Whilst reviewing mental health apps, the team also identified significant patient groups who do not yet appear to have apps that have been built to meet their needs. These include:
ORCHA is calling for developers to get in touch if they have such a solution, or to consider building an app to meet one of these clear needs.
Apps offer a wide variety of features such as real-time monitoring, recording, and gamification, that help increase a person’s understanding and engagement with their mental health treatment. But people who download a mental health app without an assessment are putting themselves at risk.
Before recommending a mental health app, read its independent evaluation on the ORCHA App Library at: appfinder.orcha.co.uk
Sources:
1) Research relating to various groups of key workers…
For healthcare providers:
Ross C, Goldner E. Stigma, negative attitudes and discrimination towards mental illness within the nursing profession: a review of the literature. J Psychiatr Ment Health Nurs. 2009;16(6):558–567. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
Schulze B. Stigma and mental health professionals: a review of the evidence on an intricate relationship. Int Rev Psychiatry. 2007;19(2):137–155. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
Wallace JE. Mental health and stigma in the medical profession. Health (London). 2012;16(1):3–8. doi:10.1177/1363459310371080. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
Adams EF, Lee AJ, Pritchard CW, et al. What stops us from healing the healers: a survey of help-seeking behavior, stigmatisation and depression within the medical profession. Int J Soc Psychiatry. 2010;56(4):359–370. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
For teachers:
https://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/news/more-teachers-reporting-mental-health-problems-than-ever…. The findings show that around 5% of teachers in England now say that they suffer from a long-lasting mental health problem which has lasted (or is likely to last) for more than 12 months.
For police:
Stuart H. Mental Illness Stigma Expressed by Police to Police. Isr J Psychiatry Relat Sci. 2017;54(1):18-23.
Edwards AM, Kotera Y. Mental Health in the UK Police Force: a Qualitative Investigation into the Stigma with Mental Illness. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction (2020)
2) Healthcare Conferences UK: Improving Outcomes Through Digital Psychological Therapies & Digital IAPT; NICE: Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT); Centre for Mental Health: Covid-19 and the nation’s mental health
3) YoungMinds research reports that children and young people often look for support and advice online for their mental health – young men and boys in particular have said they would prefer online support, advice and counselling – but this support is not always available.
4) Analysis of Google Play and Apple Stores, searching for ‘mental health’ matches within the title and description of apps in the fitness and medical categories.
5) Based on ORCHA assessment of a sample of 584 apps, assessing these against 260 criteria across Clinical Assurance, Data Privacy, and User Experience.
Dr Tom Micklewright discusses his views on three apps for managing diabetes that have scored well in ORCHA’s Review.
As there are 4.7 million people in the UK with diabetes, management of this condition now makes up 10% of the NHS budget.1 Health apps give patients tools to self-manage, reducing pressure on the NHS.
But how do you find the right ones? ORCHA has reviewed 229 diabetes apps, and 82% score below our quality threshold, indicating a market of low quality apps.
Today, Dr Tom Micklewright discusses his views on three apps for managing diabetes that have scored well in ORCHA’s Review.
In these videos, Dr Tom Micklewright looks at three top-scoring diabetes apps, giving his opinion on their features, benefits, and areas for improvement.
Dr Micklewright demonstrates the Intellin app, shares his views, and explores how the app simplifies the management of diabetes and identifies the risk of developing complications. Intellin gives personalised predictions on users’ highest risk areas and provides tips on how to prevent these complications.
Click below to watch the video:
Dr Micklewright next looks at the way in which the Diabetes Forum app provides a moderated peer-to-peer support network to people with diabetes (considered vulnerable under COVID-19). This includes elderly people, friends and caregivers. The app can be distributed through a mobile and web app:
For his insight into another top-scoring diabetes app, Dr Micklewright demonstrates how Liva UK provides personalised health coaching programmes to patients at risk of developing, or currently living with, chronic diseases such as Pre and Type 2 Diabetes:
A new group has been formed to drive forward the much needed digital health readiness agenda.
A new group has been formed to drive forward the much needed digital health readiness agenda. This will be led by CECOPS CIC*, and supported by many experts in the digital health space.
The formation of this group follows a webinar run by CECOPS ‘DIGITAL HEALTH READINESS, DURING & POST COVID-19 PANDEMIC’**.
There was an overwhelming sense in the discussion that in order for the digital health marketplace to be sustainable and effective, the issue of organisational readiness should be addressed as a matter of priority.
The task group will be jointly chaired by Professor Mike Bewick (a former deputy medical director at NHS England) and Shane Tickell (Vice Chair, Health and Social Care, TechUK, and CEO Temple Black). The group have agreed that the issue of digital health readiness is beyond further discussion and want to be seen as a ‘Do Tank’.
The overall aims of the group are to establish what digital health readiness actually looks like, share, scale and accelerate it, so that organisations are ready for adopting new innovations and technologies at pace, to ensure improved outcomes and benefits can be fully realised. The group will collaborate with other strategic partners in the space.
“Over recent years there has been some excellent work initiated by organisations like NHS England/Improvement – including the NHS Clinical Entrepreneur programme, NHSX, the Academic Health Science Networks and Digital Health London, looking at innovations. To capitalise on this work we feel readiness is an area where focus needs to be, especially with the momentum COVID-19 has given with regards to looking at digital health; we don’t want to miss this opportunity.” – Professor Bewick
Brian Donnelly, CEO, CECOPS, will lead on the day to day operations of the group and oversee projects, along with a support team. The task group advisory panel includes:
Prof. Mike Bewick (Joint Chair)
Shane Tickell (Joint Chair)
Dr Taz Aldawoud, CCIO, NHS Bradford District and Craven CCG; CEO, Doc Abode (Vice Chair)
Dr. Ruth Ngozi Agbakoba, Academic & Digital Health Consultant (Project Lead & Advisor)
Dr Paul Rice, Regional Director of Digital Transformation, NHS England & NHS Improvement (External Advisor)
Rachel Murphy, CEO, Difrent Group (External Advisor)
Eamus Halpin, Corporate Strategist, Horizon Strategic Partners (External Advisor)
Liz Ashall-Payne, CEO, ORCHA (External Advisor)
Dr Tamsin Holland Brown, Paediatrician, Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust (External Advisor)
Dr. Sam Shah, Digital Health Tech Advisor (External Advisor)
Neelam Patel, CEO, MedCity (External Advisor)
Helen Hughes, CEO, Patient Safety Learning (External Advisor)
Charlotte Lewis, Commercial Health Lawyer, Mills & Reeve (External Advisor)
Dr. Antonio E. Weiss, Author & Director 2020 Delivery (External Advisor)
Hassan Chaudhury, Digital Health Lead at Healthcare UK (External Advisor)
Andy Wilkins, Co-Founder at Vision4Health & CEO of BE Advisory
Readiness assessments will look mainly at the planning and commissioning of services, including system readiness. It will help bring organisations to the procurement and commissioning phase. Assessments can also cover digital health providers, so that they are also ready to bring their solution to the market.
“This is an excellent opportunity to ensure the system is ready for some of the great innovations out there. This initiative could not have come at a better time. I am delighted to be part of this.” – Dr Taz Aldawoud (Vice Chair)
Readiness will be assessed against the CECOPS International Code of Practice for Planning, Commissioning and Providing Technology Enabled Care Services: A Quality Framework for Procurement and Commissioning of Services, and using the iCOPS® self-assessment and continuous improvement software tool.
Readiness assessments can be undertaken at both micro and macro levels e.g. hospitals, Integrated Care Systems. If you would like to find more about this new task group and how it can support you, please get in touch: T: 01494 863398 | M: 07511667330 | brian@cecops.org.uk
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*CECOPS CIC is the independent standards and accreditation body in the UK for all assistive technology services, including digital health. CECOPS has developed outcome-based standards and currently works with approximately 200 NHS and local authority providers.
** A recording from the webinar can be accessed using the following link and by using the password below:
PASSWORD: 7g!n3?.I
This new library will help people to access wellbeing help during COVID-19
Physical and mental wellbeing are major concerns for the public during COVID-19 lockdown, and it is now predicted that self-care will become part of the everyday routine. Lockdown has worsened existing issues with food and mental health, but has also rapidly boosted peoples acceptance for digital healthcare. This is expected to increase the demand on dietetic services, and with social distancing, new remote ways of providing care are essential.
To help its 10,000 members, the British Dietetic Association is taking the next step in its digital strategy to tackle this challenge. The BDA, Professional body and Trade Union for UK Dietitians, is working with the Organisation for the Review of Health and Care Apps (ORCHA), to produce a library of evaluated health apps.
The Association is also offering its members the opportunity to have apps evaluated by ORCHA. Should they, or their client, use an app that is not featured in the library, BDA will work with ORCHA to ensure that those apps undergo a rigorous review. The apps will be tested against 260 criteria, covering clinical effectiveness, data security and usability. This independent assessment will ensure dietetic app choices are fully informed.
Health apps offer easy, engaging and accessible ways to help clients better track symptoms or self-manage, at home. There are specialised apps across a range of conditions, such as diabetes, IBS, eating disorders and obesity.
With thousands of apps available, it can be hard to find the right one. Type ‘diet’ into Google play store and you’ll get over 1.6 million results, and not all of them are safe, secure or easy to use. The vast majority should be used with caution or avoided completely as they can cause harm. For example:
The library contains a comprehensive list of several thousand health-related apps – all of which can be searched by condition, intended use, and patient type. Also, all apps in the library have been objectively reviewed and rated, so members can make the best recommendations for their patients. The system provides a full report about the levels of clinical assurance, data privacy and user experience for each app listed.
Najia Qureshi, BDA’s Director of Education, Practice and Policy said: “Apps have the power to transform dietetic services, increasing engagement levels with patients and helping them to better stick to their personalised plan. Our library will help members harness this opportunity safely, by including only tested apps in their practice. Using this tool, we can unlock the power of Digital Health.”