Multiple award winner
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2023 ACAMH Awards Digital Innovation Award for Best Digital Intervention Winner
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2024 HSJ Digital Awards Improving Mental Health Through Digital Finalist
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2024 Digital Leaders Health Tech Innovation of the Year Winner
Improving Patient-Reported Outcome Measures Completion in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in England have struggled to implement routine collection of Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs), despite their recognised clinical value. This challenge stems largely from the limitations of traditional paper-based data collection methods. Paper questionnaires are time- and resource-intensive to process, prone to errors, and often result in low completion rates.
myHealthE (MHE), a web-based monitoring system, was developed to address these challenges and improve PROM completion rates in CAMHS. MHE automates the delivery, collection, and processing of electronic PROMs (ePROMs), reducing the administrative burden on clinicians and providing real-time feedback to caregivers. Digital Marmalade played a crucial role in developing the MyHealthe system.
A feasibility pilot study conducted in a community pediatric mental health centre in South London demonstrated the positive impact of MHE on PROM completion rates. The study found that caregivers assigned to the MHE group were 12 times more likely to complete the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) compared to the control group.
This significant increase in completion rates can be attributed to several factors:
- Automated ePROM Delivery and Collection: MHE automatically sends ePROM invitations and reminders to caregivers at predefined times, minimising the need for manual follow-up by clinicians
- Ease of Use and Convenience: Caregivers in the study cited the ease and speed of using MHE to complete questionnaires as major advantages over paper-based methods
- Real-Time Feedback: MHE provides caregivers with immediate feedback based on their responses, enhancing their engagement with the system
In numbers
- SDQ completion increased by 61% when using MyHealthe than with standard paper-based data collection. This means that caregivers using myHealthE were over 12 times more likely to complete the SDQ-P than those using standard paper-based methods
- 98% of caregivers who registered with MyHealthe went on to complete an SDQ, highlighting the platform's usability and effectiveness in guiding users through the process
- A retention rate of 72% This demonstrates that myHealthE can facilitate continued engagement with PROM collection over time, which is crucial for monitoring progress and informing treatment decisions.
Over the last few years, Digital Marmalade have become an integral part of the my_HealthE clinical research team. They are professional, responsive and creative. Most important for me is that Jeremy, Andy and Marcus and all the Digital Marmalade group we have worked with have been truly invested in making myHealthE a successful project. They have gone the extra mile to meet tight budgets, complex NHS operational environments and last minute requests prior to roll out. I cannot recommend them highly enough, and they are a pleasure to work with.
An evolving platform
The myHealthE online portal has evolved to additionally function as a "virtual waiting room" to better serve families and young people on waiting lists for mental health services. The successful implementation of the virtual waiting room pilot in South London demonstrates its potential to improve communication, engagement, and support for families and young people on waiting lists for mental health services. This virtual waiting room offers several advantages:
- 12 NHS Trusts use MyHealthe
- 27 CAMHS sites
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Access to tailored information and resources
The myHealthE portal provides families with access to curated information about local CAMHS, clinically approved services in their area, and national health resources relevant to their needs. This ensures families have readily available support and guidance while awaiting their appointment, potentially reducing anxiety and empowering them to proactively manage their child's mental health. -
Improved communication and engagement
The virtual waiting room serves as a dedicated communication channel between families and their healthcare providers. This can help alleviate concerns about communication gaps and foster a sense of connection and support during the waiting period. -
Enhanced patient experience
By providing a central hub for information, resources, and communication, the myHealthE virtual waiting room streamlines the patient experience and fosters a more patient-centered approach to care, even before the first appointment. This can improve satisfaction and build trust between families and their healthcare providers.
Questionnaire builder
To provide greater flexibility for clinical teams using MyHealthe, a questionnaire builder has been incorporated into the platform, enabling the creation of multi-step, multi-path questionnaires.
Creating these questionnaires is straightforward: multiple-choice questions can be added, with weights assigned to the answers.
Measurable outcomes are then defined by selecting which questions should contribute to the outcome results. Result bands, based on the total score of selected questions, can also be created.
For safeguarding, specific answers to certain questions can automatically alert the clinical team.
Finally, the questionnaire summary includes statistics on how many questionnaires have been sent and how many have been completed.
Conclusion
MHE, developed in collaboration with Digital Marmalade, represents a successful example of how digital innovation can be leveraged to address challenges in child and adolescent mental health services. The system's positive impact on PROM completion rates, coupled with its potential to enhance clinical decision-making and improve patient-practitioner communication, positions it as a valuable tool for improving the quality of care for young people with mental health needs.