Groundbreaking machine learning algorithm accurately predicts mental health crises by Tracy Williams May 30, 2022 May 30, 2022 577 Koa Health, a leading global provider of digital mental healthcare solutions, and Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, today announced the results of a groundbreaking machine learning algorithm that has accurately predicted mental health crises in a real world NHS setting. The results of the study suggest that such technology could allow for early intervention and improve patient outcomes. Koa Health developed a machine learning model that uses anonymised electronic health records to continuously monitor patients for risk of a mental health crisis. The model has been found to correctly predict more than half of the crises 28 days in advance, without a considerable false positive rate. A following six-month study evaluated Koa Health’s algorithm’s use in clinical practice. In as many as 64% of cases, the model proved clinically valuable, either in terms of managing caseloads or mitigating the risk of crisis. Results of the study come during Mental Health Awareness Month and follow the UK’s Mental Health Awareness Week which acknowledged the nearly one billion people worldwide who live with a mental disorder. With the global mental health emergency considerably exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare systems face a growing demand for mental health services and seek solutions to allow for preventative measures. Koa Health is exploring the incorporation of crisis prediction into its comprehensive mental health service as part of its aim to use technology to radically improve access to high quality support for mental health. The next step is to validate the model in other health systems, and to undertake the larger scale studies that will be required to obtain regulatory approval. Dr. Oliver Harrison, CEO Koa Health says, “Working as an NHS psychiatrist, I saw too many people arrive in our services through the Accident and Emergency Department. By the time we saw them, they were usually very sick, and had often experienced problems with their relationships, finances, employment and housing. Putting the pieces back together was almost always expensive, time-consuming, and painful for the people involved. We were delighted to be chosen as a Wave 1 NHS Test Bed to partner with Birmingham and Solihull NHS Mental Health Foundation Trust. We shared a vision of moving from reactive care – driven by crisis – to proactive care – driven by prediction and prevention. We have delivered outstanding results in this trial and look forward to continuing the development work. We believe this is the future of mental healthcare in the UK and worldwide.” Dr. Aleksandar Matic, Koa Health’s R&D Director says, ”Prevention is widely seen as the holy grail of treating mental health problems. Using AI to predict mental health crises can enable timely and proactive instead of reactive interventions to mitigate or prevent mental health crises and truly help both patients and healthcare systems. We were so excited when the results from the clinical implementation of our model suggested that our predictions may have indeed prevented more serious symptoms. Providing the right intervention at the right time sits at the core of Koa’s approach.” Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation TrustKoa Health Share 0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail Tracy Williams previous post Northern Care Alliance sets up 500 bed virtual ward next post Doccla virtual monitoring enables patient care to continue at home You may also like Challenges facing the custom orthotic design industry July 4, 2024 6 Autism stereotypes we need to overcome May 2, 2024 Aventido Celebrates Classroom Inclusion with ‘Design Your Own AT Superhero’ Competition April 25, 2024 April 24, 2024 Public concern about the NHS soars as delays accessing A&E and GP... April 23, 2024 Spoken Announces Update and Plans for Autism Acceptance Month April 22, 2024 A third of Brits have difficulty accessing their GP. Local health reforms... April 19, 2024 Transform Healthcare Unveils 10-Point Transformation Plan Under New Leadership April 18, 2024 Coventry University leads UK-Indonesia initiative to increase disability inclusion in higher education April 17, 2024 PhD student aims to help save lives as autism research is included... April 16, 2024 Leave a Comment Cancel Reply Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.