Use Case: Transforming Mental Healthcare with AI - A Strategic Perspective for Board Directors

Summary:

1. AI can reduce pressure on clinicians by automating tasks requiring lower-level thinking
2. AI related concerns can be addressed appropriately in a cost-efficient way
3. Board involvement is critical in AI initiatives in healthcare

Demand for mental health sessions climbed by an average of 70% year-on-year since the pandemic began. Also three out of four clinicians now had waiting lists, and almost 40% closed their books to new clients at the end of 2022 [1].

Due to a number of factors, with COVID-19 pandemic being a major one, demand for mental health services has increased significantly worldwide. The above quote relates to Australian context, however the situation is very similar across the globe[2][3]. The increased patient numbers are putting further pressure on an already overstretched workforce. This situation requires re-thinking of clinicians' priorities and an active search for new solutions.

One possible way to reduce pressure on clinicians is by using Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI can add significant value by automating some activities and freeing up time for face-to-face work with patients. This improves quality of care, while also bringing significant economic benefits.

AI Use Case - Patient Interviews

The weekly work activities of a mental health professional include various tasks that require lower level thinking, where AI can be used to reduce the human involvement.

One such example are patient consultations. When interviewing a patient, usually two people are present. One of them is typing and summarising what's going on, while the other one is conducting the interview. The person typing should be an experienced clinician because they need to know what they need to take from the information, that is being discussed, type it, summarise it, and classify it contextually to be ready for system entry.

The work of the interviewing clinician is critical and organisations should not consider using AI here. However, the work of the note-taking clinician can be automated using AI. In this case AI can be used to summarise the main points, classify specific information contextually, and prepare it to be entered into a system. Furthermore, an AI system performing the work of the note-taking clinician can be trained using internal information, in addition to the training it underwent on generally available information, thus achieving results more relevant to the organisational environment and goals.

Using the above approach it is possible to have patient interviews done by a single psychiatrist, who can quickly review the output of the AI solution after the interview. This approach will result in additional clinicians on the team available to work with patients. As a result, the number of patients that a team can handle, will easily increase by 70-80%.

Privacy Concerns

While online, software-as-a-service AI solutions for mental health hold promise, concerns around data privacy and potential misuse are high. However, alternative approaches exist that are affordable and moderately complex. These solutions offer several advantages:

• Enhanced Data Security:?In-house solutions reduce the risk of unauthorised access or breaches that plague online platforms.
• Increased Transparency:?Healthcare providers directly oversee the development and implementation of in-house AI, allowing for greater confidence in results.
• Tailored Solutions:?In-house solutions can be trained on in-house datasets better to address the needs and context of the organisation, leading to more personalised and effective interventions.

Conclusion

The article discusses the increasing demand for mental health services, which has led to an overstretched workforce. One possible solution to reduce the pressure on clinicians is to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to automate some activities and free up time for face-to-face work with patients.

However, it’s important to note that due to all real and perceived risk factors, introducing AI into clinical activities has to be initiated by the board and senior management, with the support of front-line professionals.

If you're a Board Director looking to introduce AI into your organisation, don't hesitate to get in touch with me at?[email protected] ?for an exploratory discussion.

We have developed our "Shaping Success with AI?" (SSAI?) framework to help Board Directors understand, introduce, and govern AI in their organisations. SSAI? aims to help Board Directors move from User or Learner to Trailblazer and lead profoundly impactful organisations.

References:

1. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-30/psychologist-shortage-mental-health-emergency-rural-health/102153852
2. https://www.aamc.org/news/growing-psychiatrist-shortage-enormous-demand-mental-health-services
3. https://www.who.int/europe/news/item/22-03-2023-the-health-workforce-crisis-in-europe-is-no-longer-a-looming-threat---it-is-here-and-now.-the-bucharest-declaration-charts-a-way-forward