Preserving Continuity of Behavioral Health Clinical Care to Patients Using Mobile Devices

Area of Science:

• Military Health System
• Telehealth Technology
• Behavioral Health Services

Background:

• Current behavioral health treatment models require in-person appointments, posing challenges for deployed warfighters.
• Technological advancements in telehealth offer a viable alternative for remote patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of tele-behavioral health visits using mobile technology for deployed warfighters.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of mobile technology in providing remote behavioral health services.

Main Methods:

• Assessed existing Web Real-Time Communications (WebRTC) systems for secure connections to personal mobile devices.
• Integrated the mCare mobile application with Vidyo desktop technology to create 'Mobile Connect'.
• Evaluated five WebRTC systems, with Vidyo identified as suitable for DoD security requirements.

Main Results:

• Mobile Connect deployment showed network variability impacting quality of service between different military domains and personal mobile devices.
• Current Department of Defense (DoD) WebRTC systems cannot connect with personal mobile devices in their existing configurations.
• Future WebRTC systems must use commercial Single Socket Layer certificates for successful mobile device authentication.

Conclusions:

• Desktop video teleconferencing to personal mobile devices is technically feasible without compromising DoD security.
• Configuring approved ports, protocols, and system settings for encrypted traffic is essential for consistent quality of service.
• Expanding DISA Global Video Services to support commercial mobile devices offers the highest probability of future success.