Technology-Enabled Person-Centered Mental Health Services Reform: Strategy for Implementation Science

Area of Science:

• Implementation Science
• Health Information Technology
• Mental Health Services Research

Background:

• Rapid advancements in health information technologies aim to enhance mental health care delivery.
• Successful adoption and sustainment of these technologies depend on various facilitators, barriers, and contextual factors.
• Implementation science provides a framework to address these complexities in mental health services reform.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a systematic implementation science protocol for integrating technology-enabled solutions into mental health services.
• To guide the implementation of digital health tools in both traditional and web-based mental health care settings.
• To enable continuous refinement of the protocol based on feedback and evaluation.

Main Methods:

• A four-phase protocol: scoping and feasibility, local co-design and pre-implementation, implementation, and sustainment/scalability.
• Phase 1: Assesses alignment between service partners and technology goals.
• Phase 2: Employs co-design methodologies (e.g., pathway modeling, user testing) for service enhancement.
• Phase 3: Embeds the technology solution, using iterative evaluation for continuous refinement.
• Phase 4: Focuses on maintaining and scaling the optimized solution.

Main Results:

• The protocol has been initiated in 11 services across three populations, with ongoing implementation in Phase 3.
• Funding was secured from the Australian Government Department of Health (June 2017-2020).
• Initial results are anticipated for publication in 2020.

Conclusions:

• The implementation science protocol facilitates the identification of factors influencing successful technology adoption in mental health.
• It aids in developing proactive strategies to overcome barriers and improve implementation outcomes.
• A theoretically grounded protocol is crucial for integrating novel technologies and evidence-based practices into routine mental health care.