Multi-professional
collaboration and
consultation
Improving child and adolescent psychiatry with eHealth
22nd IUHPE World Conference on Health Promotion Curitiba, Brazil, 22-26 May 2016
Theme: Capacity and system development Norwegian Centre
Authors
• Kirsi Bykachev, Kerttu Tossavainen, Kirsti Kumpulainen
University of Eastern Finland, Finland
• Catrine Kostenius (presenting), Gunvor Gard, Eva Lindgren
Luleå University of Technology, Sweden
• Philip Wilson
University of Aberdeen, Scotland
• Siri Bjørvig, Morten Borgen
Background
• The countries and regions comprising the Northern Periphery Programme area share many challenges like
• harsh climate
• low population density • long distances
• recruitment problems
• These decrease the accessibility and quality of mental health services in the region
eCAP project develops solutions
• “eHealth Services for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (eCAP)” project develops ways to improve child and
adolescent psychiatry (CAP) service provision in sparsely populated areas through eHealth innovations
• Partners from Finland, Norway, Scotland and Sweden • Three year project 2015-2018
• Financed by the Northern Periphery and Arctic 2014-2020 Programme
• Builds upon research-based evidence and practical experience from previous eHealth projects implemented in partner countries
Objectives
• To improve CAP service systems by developing eHealth tools for more
effective consultation, supervision and multi-professional collaboration
• web-based online booking system
• video conferencing system for flexible, remote consultations between primary and special health care, social care and education to support decision-making and treatment • electronic questionnaires
Activities
• Mapping existing best practice in the area
• Describing the mechanisms for introducing change • Planning and executing implementation (including
staff training)
• Estimating cost-effectiveness of developed services • Gathering feedback from the target groups for
evaluation
• Securing sustainability beyond the end of the
Expected results
• Increased quality, availability and cost-effectiveness of remote CAP services
• More rational use of scarce specialist services • Increased use of technology in public services
working to improve child and adolescent mental health in sparsely populated areas • Positive effect on awareness and attitudes
among health professionals towards eHealth
technologies Image courtesy of photostock
Conclusions
• The child and adolescent psychiatry services now
available in remote, sparsely populated rural areas are
insufficient to meet growing demand
• We need to find new ways to utilize scarce financial and
expert resources more efficiently
• Suggested eHealth solutions developed in transnational collaboration are likely to provide for capacity and
system development in child and adolescent psychiatry