Technology, Transparency and Trust: Connecting the Dots to Promote Engagement in Behavioral Health Care

As a therapist, I celebrate World Mental Health Day feeling thankful for all the people who are working to reduce stigma and promote better access to behavioral health care. As Chief Clinical Officer at AbleTo, today serves as a reminder that we have such great opportunities ahead thanks to the success of their efforts. This growing cultural movement is influencing change from public policy to business strategy. A recent Mercer survey of employers indicates more companies are looking to address mental health issues in the workforce. 

These gains in awareness are coming at a time of rapid innovation in behavioral health care. The entire pathway to treatment is expanding thanks to technology, changing how people connect and experience care, and positively impacting the lives of millions of people.

When AbleTo was founded, the idea of using technology to deliver behavioral health care nationally was new. We immediately saw the benefits of helping reach people who, for many reasons, would be more likely to engage from the comfort of their home. Just as important, we believed technology could help our goal of bringing transparency to a type of healthcare that has long lived in the shadows.

Many people do not talk about their treatment for fear of judgment. As we discovered in a recently released national survey that AbleTo performed of a representative group of patients with depression or anxiety, stigma remains one of the top barriers to seeking care. Those seeking help find navigating to the right provider confusing and difficult, without guidance on what to expect. Using technology to help bring transparency to the patient experience at the point of intervention, through personalization and normalization of the interaction, is a powerful way to encourage engagement.

When we began developing the AbleTo clinical programming, we held ourselves accountable to explain to patients how the program would help improve their symptoms, and communicated to patients the commitment needed of them to make meaningful progress during treatment. We built a delivery model that tailored evidence-based content specifically to patients with the purpose of removing barriers to their health and life goals. Then we measured and celebrated each patient’s progress together. This transparent, personalized approach builds trust, increases engagement and allows patients to experience the full benefits of high-quality behavioral health care.

Transparency in behavioral health care extends beyond the patient experience; it also supports our ability to partner with other organizations and be more effective in collaborating for change. Technology allows us to share engagement, treatment and outcomes data to further learnings and promote the adoption of the highest quality and most impactful programs.

Our ability to use technology to increase engagement and improve quality is central to the behavioral health movement’s goal of reaching more people in need and connecting them with care that will improve their lives. I’m so inspired by the success we’ve seen already, and excited about what we can accomplish when we work thoughtfully and creatively on solutions to improve access and engagement.

#WorldMentalHealthDay #MentalHealth