Kumar Mohan Sunil, Krishnamurthy Sharmitha, Gowda Mahesh R, Dhruve Nitya
Clinical Division, Augmenta Health (P) Ltd., Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
Division of Public Health, Augmenta Health (P) Ltd., Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
Indian J Psychiatry. 2019 Apr;61(Suppl 4):S730-S734. doi: 10.4103/psychiatry.IndianJPsychiatry_161_19.
The widespread reach and ease of use make technology a handy tool for today's practicing mental health professional (MHP), especially in light of the Mental Healthcare Act (MHCA) 2017, the essence of which safeguards the rights of patients while squarely placing the onus on MHPs. In order to keep up with the changing times, it is imperative for the MHP to be aware of the potential of technology to not only aid delivery but also ease the burden of care while being MHCA-compliant. In addition, the article calls for a more proactive role of the MHP in driving change in terms of leveraging technology in mental health settings. It looks at how certain tools can be incorporated across a range of scenarios right from wellness applications and facilitating medical adherence to aiding crisis intervention and extending quality care services in remotes areas. The article briefly outlines a framework involving various stakeholders at different levels as well as the channels in which the technology can be leveraged while keeping the patients' rights front and center. The potential barriers that an "e-ready" MHP can expect and directions for moving ahead are discussed, keeping a critical eye on the lacunae in using technology.
技术的广泛应用和易用性使其成为当今心理健康专业人员（MHP）的便捷工具，特别是鉴于2017年的《精神卫生保健法》（MHCA），该法的核心是在切实将责任置于心理健康专业人员身上的同时保障患者的权利。为了跟上时代的变化，心理健康专业人员必须意识到技术的潜力，即不仅有助于提供服务，还能在符合《精神卫生保健法》的情况下减轻护理负担。此外，文章呼吁心理健康专业人员在利用技术推动心理健康领域变革方面发挥更积极的作用。它探讨了如何在一系列场景中融入某些工具，从健康应用程序、促进医疗依从性到协助危机干预以及在偏远地区提供优质护理服务。文章简要概述了一个框架，该框架涉及不同层面的各种利益相关者以及可以利用技术的渠道，同时将患者权利置于首位并作为核心关注点。讨论了“具备电子素养”的心理健康专业人员可能遇到的潜在障碍以及前进的方向，同时密切关注技术使用中的不足之处。
