Examining a Digital Health Approach for Advancing Schizophrenia Illness Self-Management and Provider Engagement: Protocol for a Feasibility Trial
This study describes the protocol for a feasibility trial evaluating App4Independence (A4i), a digital health platform designed to improve illness self-management and treatment engagement among individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. The planned study used a single-blind randomized design, with participants assigned to either A4i or a control condition and followed for six months. Feasibility measures included recruitment and […]
Predicting symptom response and engagement in a digital intervention among individuals with schizophrenia and related psychoses
This study examined whether machine learning could predict individual responses to and engagement with a smartphone-based digital intervention among people with schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders. Researchers used data from an earlier open trial involving 38 participants with psychosis, primarily schizophrenia spectrum disorders, who used the App4Independence (A4i) psychosocial smartphone intervention for one month. Machine learning models incorporated […]
Lessons learned developing and deploying a provincial virtual mental health support during the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of virtual health services, but limited information was available to health leaders about how these services were developed and implemented and what could be learned from these experiences. This article describes lessons learned from the co-design, development, and deployment of SaskWell, a 10-week text-based mental health and wellness service for […]
Supporting population mental health and wellness during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada: protocol for a sequential mixed-method study
The study describes the protocol for the development and evaluation of SaskWell, a customized two-way text-messaging service designed to connect Saskatchewan residents with digital mental health and wellness resources during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study uses the RE-AIM framework to guide a sequential mixed-https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2021-052259methods approach involving co-design, implementation, and evaluation. SaskWell was designed as a 10-week service, providing participants […]
Feasibility and outcomes of a multi-function mobile health approach for the schizophrenia spectrum: App4Independence (A4i)
The study examined the feasibility of A4i, a multi-feature mobile health application designed to support illness self-management among people with schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders. The study took place in a large urban Canadian centre, with 38 participants using A4i for approximately one month. A pre-post study design was used to assess medication adherence, personal […]
Kellelo Health
The Problem: Challenges in Measurement-Based Mental Health Care Mental health care often lacks scalable, structured tools for ongoing measurement, patient engagement, and data-driven treatment decisions. Clinicians and organizations face challenges in: The challenge is improving visibility into patient progress while supporting more efficient and informed clinical decision-making. What is Kellelo Health? Kelello Health is an AI-enabled […]
CalmDoc
An SMS based system to continuously monitor stress in physicians.
Piloting a Text-Based Program to Support Clinician Well-Being at a Canadian Mental Health Hospital
The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto, Canada, launched a survey on EHR use,documentation requirements, and experiences of burnout among clinicians, including social workers (SWs)and occupational therapists (OTs). Findings revealed high rates of burnout amongst SWs (48.4%) and OTs (23.1%), signaling a need for strategies to address clinician burnout. In response to […]
App for independence: A feasibility randomized controlled trial of a digital health tool for schizophrenia spectrum disorders
The study was a single-blinded randomized trial. This trial was undertaken to generate feasibility data that might inform the design and utility of future effectiveness and implementation trials. The study took place in Toronto, Canada, with 91 participants randomized to 6 months of A4i use or treatment as usual. Feasibility metrics included recruitment, engagement and retention […]
People, Process, & Technology: Understanding the Contextual Factors Impacting the Implementation of an App to Support Patients with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders
Effective clinical services and treatments for schizophrenia spectrum populations are commonly hindered by illness complexity. Considering this, digital health holds promise in the effort to support individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD). While some research has demonstrated the efficacy of digital health technologies in supporting mental health treatment, the integration of these technologies into clinical […]