Developing a Digitally Informed Curriculum in Psychiatry Education and Clinical Practice

Abstract

Technology is rapidly permeating the lives of our patients and influencing the clinical practice of psychiatry [1]. From electronic health record (EHR) systems to patient-focused smartphone apps, the way healthcare professionals communicate information with other professionals and with patients have been reshaped dramatically in the last decade [2]. This is partly due to increased access to smartphones [3], and partly due to nationwide initiatives to modernize the healthcare system with a goal to increase accuracy and efficiency. With increased access to technology, patients and their families have become proactive in obtaining information, rather than relying solely on education from their healthcare providers. Social media use also serves as an alternate avenue in obtaining medical information, including subscribing to interest groups and connecting to others with similar medical conditions [4,5].Millennial students and trainees in medicine have also developed proficiency and, even more so, preference for incorporating technology in their practice, learning, and daily lives [6]. However, they cite lack of guidance in education as a major barrier in incorporating technology fully in their practice [7]. Elements of teaching technology for child and adolescent psychiatry [8], rural and underserved psychiatry [9], and general adult psychiatry have been described. Despite demonstrated efficacy and desire among the early career physicians to incorporate technology in their practice, there is a notable discrepancy in culture and expectation of restraint around use of technology in various settings between generations [10].To further formalize the practice of incorporating technology in health systems and clinical practice, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) has accredited a new fellowship, named Clinical Informatics. To date, there are currently 26 Clinical Informatics fellowships across the country [11]. This new subspecialty enables candidates from any medical specialty to become experts in the informatics and analytics of medical care [12]. Despite the clear trend of increased technology use and need for defined competencies on this topic, there remains a lack of education in technology in general psychiatry and other psychiatry subspecialty trainings despite the rising number of issues associated with rapid infiltration of technology in our daily lives and thus our daily practice.In this article, we aim to explore the current state of technology education and the impact of technology on mental health, and discuss a pilot curriculum in providing a framework for evaluating various technologies in practice. To achieve such aims, the objectives of this article include (a) to develop a conceptual approach related to technology for clinical care, (b) to grasp the factors that drive the use of technology services and expected outcomes of its many users related to health, communication, and care, and (c) to discuss case examples of technology use utilizing the conceptualized approach.The Cha...

Clinical or gimmickal: The use and effectiveness of mobile mental health apps for treating anxiety and depression

“…Previous research on web-based programmes designed for use on personal computers or laptops has found that individuals have more satisfactory ratings for e-mental health resources than clinicians do (Gun et al, 2011;Waller and Gilbody, 2009). There may also be a discrepancy between younger, early career mental health clinicians and older, more experienced clinicians in their knowledge and desire to incorporate digital tools into their practice (Kim et al, 2018). Furthermore, clinicians have indicated specific barriers to using online resources, including concerns about privacy and data security (Hendrikoff et al, 2019;Neary and Schueller, 2018;Stawarz et al, 2018;Terry and Gunter, 2018), lack of time to learn and understand how various online tools work, inability to access relevant training and concerns about client feedback (Sinclair et al, 2013).…”

“…Thus, the clinician's perspective would appear to be vital in the successful uptake and wider dissemination of e-mental health resources (Hollis et al, 2018;Martinez-Martin and Kreitmair, 2018). Furthermore, there is a distinct lack of teaching about how to incorporate digital tools into practice in academic mental health programmes, including for those training to be psychiatrists (Kim et al, 2018;Torous et al, 2018a).…”

Role of digital learning in addiction psychiatry

“…Through the internet, providers can attend online lectures remotely and earn credits. Psychiatrists have also used technology to share ideas and collaborate virtually through software and connected devices, including teleconferencing, cloud drives, and shared online notebooks [35]. Though this sounds very exciting, it comes with challenges of the convenience of the participants and trainers in the use of technology, availability of high speed internet, making plans to re-engage the drop-outs, etc.…”

Incorporating Digital Interventions into Mental Health Clinical Practice: a Pilot Survey of How Use Patterns, Barriers, and Opportunities Shifted for Clinicians in the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Clinicians also face systemic barriers, such as issues with insurance reimbursement and concerns regarding patient privacy (Gagnon et al, 2016 ). Clinicians need health systems to support a transition toward a new frontier in mental healthcare, one that effectively meets the growing demand by supporting the incorporation of digital mental health interventions (Gipson et al, 2017 ; Hilty et al, 2020 ; Kim et al, 2018 ; Mohr et al, 2021 ).…”