Reports in last week’s Guardian have questioned the effectiveness of digital mental health apps and platforms; reporting worries over patient data privacy and calling for more regulation over digital mental health tools.
We fully support the call for further regulation and monitoring of mental health tools, including those powered by AI. Tools that are regulated and used in a clinically-appropriate way can increase the choice of suitable and effective ways for people to receive support for their mental health.
At Everyturn Mental Health, we offer a wide range of digital platforms to support our NHS Talking therapies, such as live CBT webinars with our team, computerised cognitive behavioural therapy (cCBT), and typed CBT. We also use an AI-powered clinical referral tool, Limbic Access, to identify the kind of clinical assessment the person will need. This has saved 2,446 hours of administrative time, allowing people to get into therapy even quicker.
Since 2021 we’ve seen digital access to our talking therapies increase by 34%, showing that accessing an NHS Talking Therapies service digitally can offer an alternative way for people to get the support they need. Digital tools can offer flexibility around both time and location, allowing people to access help in the comfort of their own home.
Mona Stylianou, Principal Clinical Lead at Everyturn Mental Health, said:
“We welcome the call for additional governance over the data captured by AI–powered talking therapies support tools. It’s important that we continue to ensure that the high standards of data security are continued and that digital talking therapy tools continue to work to the highest levels of clinical standards. By ensuring that all digital therapy tools and apps are regulated and work to the highest standards, such as clinical NICE approvals and UKCA Class 2a medical device standards, we can enhance and support the patient experience but without replacing the clinician contact at the heart of therapy.”
“By keeping these standards high and consistent across all existing and newly developing digital tools, we can allow people to not only access vital mental health support but ensure that these are offered in a safe and secure environment.”
“We know from working with our partners at Limbic that patient data is only recorded to ensure that we successfully assess someone’s mental health needs; the assessment and any talking therapy is provided by a clinically trained therapist. This ensures we have more clinical time to ensure that people can access the right talking therapy in the format that works best for them.”
“Everyturn will continue to work to these high standards, to continue to ensure that no one struggles alone.“