The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has delivered a profound shock to the UK. Measures to control the spread of the virus have reached deep into our lives, significantly disrupting job security, social activity, and family life, all of which are essential to maintaining positive mental health. As health workforces and local governments reshape their work to contain the infection and protect the most vulnerable, access to outpatient, preventive, and psychological services has also reduced significantly.
Given increasing difficulties in accessing face-to-face care, and with this, rising waiting times for psychological services, the potential role of mobile health (mHealth) has gained traction during the pandemic. While evidence demonstrating the real-world effectiveness of psychological mHealth solutions continues to grow, it remains uncertain whether a public appetite for psychological mHealth solutions exists.
ORCHA’s Health Economist, Simon Leigh, conducted research into the changing appetite for psychological mHealth solutions pre- and post-COVID-19. This research was presented at MindTech Symposium 2020 and can be viewed as a virtual poster presentation here.
The research found that is clear that an appetite for psychological mHealth solutions exists among members of the public, and that this appetite appears to have increased since the disruption of lockdown measures. This should provide confidence to commissioners and developers of such technologies that safe, trusted, and evidence-based technologies are likely to provide significant value to those with unmet needs for high-quality psychological services.
ORCHA is working with Public Health England to identify digital health products and services that are capable of delivering or supporting the delivery of the key elements of the current NHS Health Check. ORCHA is assisting PHE in identifying digital solutions which will be tested in a small-scale pilot in England in early 2021.
The NHS Health Check is a health check-up for adults in England aged 40 to 74. As the population gets older, there is a higher risk of developing certain conditions, such as stroke, kidney disease, heart disease, type 2 diabetes or dementia. The NHS Health Check is designed to lower this risk by spotting the early signs of these conditions. More detail on the NHS Health Check pathway is provided in the full call document.
The full open call document can be downloaded below. This contains more detail on the NHS Health Check pathway, the types of solutions we are interested in, the requirements for these solutions, and how to respond.
If you have a digital solution that meets the core requirements and the minimum quality standards outlined in the document, please complete the survey and submit this to us by no later than 12:00 noon on the 16th December 2020.
About ORCHA
Founded by NHS clinicians, ORCHA is the world’s leading digital health evaluation and distribution organisation. We provide services to national health bodies across three continents, including the NHS in 50% of UK regions, delivering national accreditation frameworks, bespoke Digital Health Libraries, and professional recommendation tools, specific to the needs of our clients. ORCHA’s unique Review Engine assesses digital health solutions against more than 300 measures across Clinical/Professional Assurance, Data & Privacy, and Usability & Accessibility, plus additional criteria depending on needs.
See how ORCHA works
Discover how our services, including Reviews, Digital Health Libraries, and market intelligence reports, can work for your specific needs.
Search ORCHA’s App Library, featuring thousands of independent app reviews across a broad spectrum of health conditions. Every app is evaluated against more than 300 measures across Clinical/Professional Assurance, Data & Privacy, and Usability & Accessibility, making it easy for you to find the best apps for your needs.
We are proud to have contributed to Healthcare Enablers 2020, a new publication that explores how we can work together to make healthcare technology an integral part of our healthcare system.
On pages 22 and 23 of the publication, ORCHA’s Founding CEO, Liz Ashall-Payne, and Health Economist, Simon Leigh, discuss how COVID-19 has given us a platform to unlock the potential of digital health.
The publication aims to increase the knowledge about technological developments in healthcare, to strengthen the ability to innovate. Partly driven by the COVID-19 crisis, interest in digital solutions is growing rapidly among health and care professionals, patients, and health and care organizations.
But the possibilities are endless.
That is why Healthcare Enablers consolidates a yearly selection of technologies that they believe can really help healthcare. To inspire, but also to enable us together to pick the low-hanging fruit of new technologies and to work towards a sustainable healthcare system where quality and efficiency go hand in hand.
To download the free eBook of Healthcare Enablers 2020, please click here.
Learn more about the publication in the video above.
