scholarly journals An eHealth Platform for the Support of a Brazilian Regional Network of Mental Health Care (eHealth-Interop): Development of an Interoperability Platform for Mental Care Integration (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Newton Shydeo Brandão Miyoshi ◽  
João Mazzoncini De Azevedo-Marques ◽  
Domingos Alves ◽  
Paulo Mazzoncini De Azevedo-Marques

BACKGROUND The electronic exchange of health-related data can support different professionals and services to act in a more coordinated and transparent manner and make the management of health service networks more efficient. Although mental health care is one of the areas that can benefit from a secure health information exchange (HIE), as it usually involves long-term and multiprofessional care, there are few published studies on this topic, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to design, implement, and evaluate an electronic health (eHealth) platform that allows the technical and informational support of a Brazilian regional network of mental health care. This solution was to enable HIE, improve data quality, and identify and monitor patients over time and in different services. METHODS The proposed platform is based on client-server architecture to be deployed on the Web following a Web services communication model. The interoperability information model was based on international and Brazilian health standards. To test platform usage, we have utilized the case of the mental health care network of the XIII Regional Health Department of the São Paulo state, Brazil. Data were extracted from 5 different sources, involving 26 municipalities, and included national demographic data, data from primary health care, data from requests for psychiatric hospitalizations performed by community services, and data obtained from 2 psychiatric hospitals about hospitalizations. Data quality metrics such as accuracy and completeness were evaluated to test the proposed solution. RESULTS The eHealth-Interop integration platform was designed, developed, and tested. It contains a built-in terminology server and a record linkage module to support patients’ identification and deduplication. The proposed interoperability environment was able to integrate information in the mental health care network case with the support of 5 international and national terminologies. In total, 27,353 records containing demographic and clinical data were integrated into eHealth-Interop. Of these records, 34.91% (9548/27,353) were identified as patients who were present in more than 1 data source with different levels of accuracy and completeness. The data quality analysis was performed on 26 demographic attributes for each integrable patient record, totaling 248,248 comparisons. In general, it was possible to achieve an improvement of 18.40% (45,678/248,248) in completeness and 1.10% (2731/248,248) in syntactic accuracy over the test dataset after integration and deduplication. CONCLUSIONS The proposed platform established an eHealth solution to fill the gap in the availability and quality of information within a network of health services to improve the continuity of care and the health services management. It has been successfully applied in the context of mental health care and is flexible to be tested in other areas of care.

10.2196/10129 ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. e10129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Newton Shydeo Brandão Miyoshi ◽  
João Mazzoncini De Azevedo-Marques ◽  
Domingos Alves ◽  
Paulo Mazzoncini De Azevedo-Marques

Background The electronic exchange of health-related data can support different professionals and services to act in a more coordinated and transparent manner and make the management of health service networks more efficient. Although mental health care is one of the areas that can benefit from a secure health information exchange (HIE), as it usually involves long-term and multiprofessional care, there are few published studies on this topic, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Objective The aim of this study was to design, implement, and evaluate an electronic health (eHealth) platform that allows the technical and informational support of a Brazilian regional network of mental health care. This solution was to enable HIE, improve data quality, and identify and monitor patients over time and in different services. Methods The proposed platform is based on client-server architecture to be deployed on the Web following a Web services communication model. The interoperability information model was based on international and Brazilian health standards. To test platform usage, we have utilized the case of the mental health care network of the XIII Regional Health Department of the São Paulo state, Brazil. Data were extracted from 5 different sources, involving 26 municipalities, and included national demographic data, data from primary health care, data from requests for psychiatric hospitalizations performed by community services, and data obtained from 2 psychiatric hospitals about hospitalizations. Data quality metrics such as accuracy and completeness were evaluated to test the proposed solution. Results The eHealth-Interop integration platform was designed, developed, and tested. It contains a built-in terminology server and a record linkage module to support patients’ identification and deduplication. The proposed interoperability environment was able to integrate information in the mental health care network case with the support of 5 international and national terminologies. In total, 27,353 records containing demographic and clinical data were integrated into eHealth-Interop. Of these records, 34.91% (9548/27,353) were identified as patients who were present in more than 1 data source with different levels of accuracy and completeness. The data quality analysis was performed on 26 demographic attributes for each integrable patient record, totaling 248,248 comparisons. In general, it was possible to achieve an improvement of 18.40% (45,678/248,248) in completeness and 1.10% (2731/248,248) in syntactic accuracy over the test dataset after integration and deduplication. Conclusions The proposed platform established an eHealth solution to fill the gap in the availability and quality of information within a network of health services to improve the continuity of care and the health services management. It has been successfully applied in the context of mental health care and is flexible to be tested in other areas of care.


2021 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 100-106
Author(s):  
Emily J. Follwell ◽  
Siri Chunduri ◽  
Claire Samuelson-Kiraly ◽  
Nicholas Watters ◽  
Jonathan I. Mitchell

Although there are numerous quality of care frameworks, little attention has been given to the essential concepts that encompass quality mental healthcare. HealthCare CAN and the Mental Health Commission of Canada co-lead the Quality Mental Health Care Network (QMHCN), which has developed a quality mental healthcare framework, building on existing provincial, national, and international frameworks. HealthCare CAN conducted an environmental scan, key informant interviews, and focus groups with individuals with lived experiences to develop the framework. This article outlines the findings from this scan, interviews and focus groups.


2018 ◽  
Vol 22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mislene Beza Gordo Sarzana ◽  
Greice Lessa ◽  
Lucas Corrêa Preis ◽  
Joelma Patricio da Luz Perin ◽  
Selma Regina de Andrade ◽  
...  

2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 27-32
Author(s):  
Christine Wetzel ◽  
Leandro Barbosa de Pinho ◽  
Agnes Olschowsky ◽  
Ariane da Cruz Guedes ◽  
Marcio Wagner Camatta ◽  
...  

The Family Health Strategy Service (FHSS) is an important ally in the mental health system, contributing to the completeness and effectiveness of care. This study aimed to discuss the mental health care network as compared to the daily routine of an FHSS. It is an evaluative study with a qualitative methodological approach. It was developed in an FHSS in Porto Alegre-RS, Brazil. Data was collected between July and December of 2010 through interviews with 16 workers and ten relatives. We identified important resources in primary health care, such as partnerships with academia. However, the constitution of this care is still based on specialty, following the logic of patient referral. Our intention for this study was to contribute to the operationalization of the mental health care network, consolidating the partnership with the FHSS and developing activities in the territorial space, raising awareness, demystifying health care service in the area, and countering the perception that it is uniquely specialized.


Elements ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather K. Speller

Disparities in mental health care for racial minorities remains a serious and very real problem calling for immediate attention. The 2001 report of the Surgeon General affirmed that ethnic and racial minorities have less access to and availability of mental health services, and are subsequently less likely to receive needed mental health services. This paper examines a range of issues regarding Asian American mental health. It presents the practical and cultural barriers that members of this ethnic group confront when seeking mental health care and explains how cultural differences sometimes result in misdiagnosis and ineffective treatment. It also explores ways that the American mental health care system can improve to accommodate diverse ethnic groups.


2016 ◽  
Vol 51 (7) ◽  
pp. 727-735 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew J Spittal ◽  
Fiona Shand ◽  
Helen Christensen ◽  
Lisa Brophy ◽  
Jane Pirkis

Objective: Presentation to hospital after self-harm is an opportunity to treat underlying mental health problems. We aimed to describe the pattern of mental health contacts following hospital admission focusing on those with and without recent contact with community mental health services (connected and unconnected patients). Methods: We undertook a data linkage study of all individuals admitted as a general or psychiatric inpatient to hospital after self-harm in New South Wales, Australia, between 2005 and 2011. We identified the proportion of admissions where the patient received subsequent in-person community mental health care within 30 days of discharge and the factors associated with receipt of that care. Results: A total of 42,353 individuals were admitted to hospital for self-harm. In 41% of admissions, the patient had contact with a community mental health service after discharge. Patients connected with community mental health services had 5.33 (95% confidence interval = [5.09, 5.59]) times higher odds of follow-up care than unconnected patients. Other factors, such as increasing age and treatment as a psychiatric inpatient, were associated with lower odds of follow-up community care. Conclusion: Our study suggests that full advantage is not being taken of the opportunity to provide comprehensive mental health care for people who self-harm once they have been discharged from the inpatient setting. This is particularly the case for those who have not previously received community mental health care. There appears to be scope for system-level improvement in the way in which those who are treated for self-harm are followed up in the community.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
N Gasteiger ◽  
Theresa Fleming ◽  
K Day

© 2020 The Authors Background: Patient portals have the potential to increase access to mental health services. However, a lack of research is available to guide practices on extending patient portals into mental health services. This study explored stakeholder (student service users' and health providers') expectations and perceptions of extending patient portals into a New Zealand university-based mental health service. Materials and methods: This qualitative study explored the perspectives of 17 students and staff members at a university-based health and counselling service on an Internet-based patient portal through a software demonstration, two focus groups and 13 interviews. Data were analyzed thematically. Results: Staff and students perceived the patient portal as useful, easy to use and expected it to help make mental health care more accessible. Staff were most concerned with the portal's ability to support their triage processes and that it might enable students to ‘counselor hop’ (see multiple counselors). Staff recommended extension into services that do not require triage. Most students expected the portal to enhance patient-counselor contact and rapport, through continuity of care. Students were concerned with appointment waiting times, the stigmatization of poor mental health and their capacity to seek help. They considered the portal might assist with this. Students recommended extension into all services, including urgent appointments. After viewing findings from initial student and staff groups, staff concluded that extending a patient portal into their counseling services should be prioritized. Conclusion: This research suggests that there is value in extending patient portals into mental health care, especially into low-risk services. Future research should explore opportunities to support triage and appointment-making processes for mental health services, via patient portals.


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