Project Synergy: co-designing technology-enabled solutions for Australian mental health services reform.

Project Synergy: co-designing technology-enabled solutions for Australian mental health services reform. Med J Aust. 2019 Oct;211 Suppl 7:S3-S39 Authors: Hickie IB, Davenport TA, Burns JM, Milton AC, Ospina-Pinillos L, Whittle L, Ricci CS, McLoughlin LT, Mendoza J, Cross SP, Piper SE, Iorfino F, LaMonica HM Abstract Project Synergy aims to test the potential of new and emerging technologies to enhance the quality of mental health care provided by traditional face-to-face services. Specifically, it seeks to ensure that consumers get the right care, first time (delivery of effective mental health care early in the course of illness). Using co-design with affected individuals, Project Synergy has built, implemented and evaluated an online platform to assist the assessment, feedback, management and monitoring of people with mental disorders. It also promotes the maintenance of wellbeing by collating health and social information from consumers, their supportive others and health professionals. This information is reported back openly to consumers and their service providers to promote genuine collaborative care. The online platform does not provide stand-alone medical or health advice, risk assessment, clinical diagnosis or treatment; instead, it supports users to decide what may be suitable care options. Using an iterative cycle of research and development, the first four studies of Project Synergy (2014-2016) involved the development o...
Source: Medical Journal of Australia - Category: General Medicine Tags: Med J Aust Source Type: research