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The Challenge

State of Affairs in Mental Health

Mental disorders are common in the United States and overseas. An estimated 26.2% of Americans ages 18 and older (almost 60 million) suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder. Most mental illness starts early in life, with half of all cases starting by age 14. Nearly half (45%) of those with any mental disorder meet criteria for 2 or more disorders. 1 It is estimated that 21% of U.S. children 9 to 17 years have a mental or addictive disorder severe enough to cause impairment, but that fewer than 20% receive treatment. 2

Mental disorders are the leading cause of disability in the U.S. and Canada for ages 15-44. 3 In the U.S., an adult completes suicide every 16.6 minutes and a youth every 2 hours and 11 minutes. 4

Technology and Mental Health

New technology that aids in diagnosis and treatment can reduce medical errors or unnecessary injuries and prevent disability and death. However, the technology and communications infrastructure in public and private mental health care lags far behind other sectors. Psychiatrists are less likely and oncologists more likely than other medical sub specialists to use computers for clinical activities. 5

Most problems in mental health treatment stem from a lack of available information and time constraints. This problem is especially evident in clinical settings where assessment information is critical in arriving at the appropriate diagnosis and instituting an adequate treatment plan.

Perhaps the most important medical advance of the 21st century is the application of information technology to health care. This would allow all segments of the health system to interact seamlessly and facilitate safe, high-quality care for consumers. An integrated information technology and communications infrastructure is critical to achieving this goal and transforming mental health care in America.

Federal Initiatives

In 2003, the government formed the New Freedom Commission on Mental Health. The Commission’s goals are to make U.S. mental health care a national priority, eliminate disparities in mental health care and promote technology to improve the mental health care system. Recommendations included promoting the development of integrated, personalized electronic mental health records to improve both the quality of care and empower consumers.

On the policy front, several members of Congress have recently introduced health IT bills incentivizing doctors, hospitals and insurance companies to adopt IT programs. The California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) announced in June that it would invest up to $700 million to make health care more efficient to help modernize a fragmented and complex industry sector. Examples of potential investments include technology to institute electronic medical records.

Patients and Doctors Want Electronic Medical Systems

A recent survey conducted by Accenture, a national consulting firm, found that over half of consumers indicated they would be willing to pay for an electronic medical record system if the price was reasonable. In addition, 90% of doctors surveyed said electronic medical records would make sharing and obtaining information easy.

A study conducted by the Northeastern University College of Computer and Information Science in Boston found that patients with low “health literacy” (the ability to comprehend healthcare instructions) preferred to interact with an electronic device rather than a physician during their in-office care. This is significant, as an estimated 90 million Americans have limited literacy skills and are more likely to suffer from chronic diseases, have lower education levels and belong to older or minority groups.

A recent independent survey of 417 CliniCom™ users found that 69.2% of users completed the assessment in 60 minutes or less and 90% in 90 minutes or less; 89.9% of users found CliniCom™ to be thorough; 92.1% of users reported that CliniCom™ was easy to use; and 84.4% reported that it was easier or as easy to disclose sensitive information on the computer as it was with the doctor.