While improvements in mental healthcare have been made in recent years, the topic can still be seen as quite taboo. Around 300 million people globally suffer from depression, and suicide is regarded as the second-leading cause of death among young individuals. Mental health disorders are considered to be some of the biggest causes of morbidity and mortality globally, costing the global economy around $16 trillion by 2030.
Most of these illnesses are treatable, but approximately two-thirds of individuals who experience a mental health challenge go undiagnosed. Recent developments in technology and its disruption in the life sciences space coupled with Covid-19 pandemic impact on the population physically and mentally has spearheaded the need for solutions that go above and beyond.
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Zabir Macci Zabir brings over 10 years of learning across risk-based and centralized monitoring, eCOA, business analysis, continuous process improvement, and analytics for clinical trials. He is part of IQVIA's eCOA team involved in the development and execution of the business strategy working closely with the cross-functional leadership teams to influence strategic priorities for the […]
Electronic clinical outcome assessments (eCOAs) and decentralized clinical trials (DCTs) are evolving mental health studies and driving better patient engagement by enabling participants to participate in clinical trials on their own terms. Participating virtually can mitigate anxiety for many participants and allows for a more inclusive, diverse, and comprehensive study. The rapid spread of smartphones, wearable sensors, and digital health tools offers new opportunities for scaling access to mental healthcare. The de-stigmatization and more equitable treatment of mental health and physical health has been the catalyst for more research in this area, however the highly patient-reported outcomes (PROs) driven nature of mental health research calls for innovation in how we collect and report insights.
Breaking down barriers through technology
While mental health stigma still exists, it has become much more widely accepted and publicly discussed and recognized with the rise of social media, as well as celebrities and prominent individuals talking about their own struggles with mental illness. In parallel with this societal growth, several advances in the healthcare and research front have converged to potentially improve the way we research and treat these conditions. The healthcare industry has been broadly moving toward centering the patient experience of care through more PROs and making trials more accessible via hybrid and remote trials. Technology is becoming an integral part of advancing all types of clinical research, and for mental health in particular, these shifts are uniquely serving to improve the quality of life for those suffering and helping support more holistic research.
During the pandemic, seeking mental healthcare became more accessible via smartphone and handheld devices with telehealth and mobile application-based healthcare, which allowed participants more options they need to manage their conditions that they may be reluctant to seek in-person help for, such as anxiety and depression. Traditionally, it has been difficult for healthcare professionals and researchers to assess the health of participants due to the lack of regular assessments. The regular use of eCOA technology allows healthcare professionals and researchers to now be able to collect valuable data about a participant’s health to be able to effectively treat them, while also keeping the patient’s experience in mind.
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Empowering mental health care through eCOA
Adopting eCOA can help advance how we conduct mental health research by efficiently and electronically capturing PROs to better understand specific participant needs and how to address them. The permanent adoption of eCOAs is a natural step in an industry-wide effort to improve patient centricity. eCOA tools reduce the burden on participants while improving the quality and quantity of information captured during their treatment journey. They also amplify the participant’s notable symptoms– such as how they feel physically and mentally, making it easier for caregivers to manage their care.
Benefits include:
- Minimizing patient burden: By giving participants the freedom to complete assessments on their own schedule and from the comfort of their homes via bring-your-own-device (BYOD) technology, it can reduce the burden. This opens options to record and post their responses more easily and without making as many in-person visits. There is also the additional benefit of flexible scheduling with BYOD, allowing participants to seamlessly incorporate these assessments into their lives and not disrupt their everyday routines. Other opportunities include potential access to caregivers and support systems for participants that have varied circumstances.
- Better engagement: To better understand and maintain participant engagement, sponsors can benefit greatly from the on-demand electronic data gathered by ePROs. Using ePROs, sponsors can include any personal participant feedback into the research setting, ultimately supporting the patient’s experience. The use of eCOA technologies can also facilitate better time management for participants by integrating tasks with daily routines. In addition, the use of ePRO technology benefits such as translation services can support mental health ailments by providing a broader scope for outreach and a comprehensive understanding of the most appropriate assessments for mental health problems. This can reduce noise and improve the outcome of assessments and cut down on the number of unnecessary diary entries.
- Overall efficiency: Overall trial efficiency can help bring new medicines to market faster. By improving the information exchange between patients and providers, ePROs can open the opportunity to positively impact participant care in major mental health conditions such as depression, suicidal ideation, and substance use. Further, ePROs enable enhanced data quality and less bias in the overall analysis as well as the labeling of drugs in the event of adverse events or unforeseeable circumstances.
Creating a holistic patient experience
Looking forward, the adoption of eCOA technology in mental healthcare research can make pivotal advancements in mental health patient care. eCOA and digital health tools were well-suited to accommodate the rapid rise of virtual and telehealth shifts during the Covid-19 pandemic and there is no going back. These tools will continue to be an important part of the healthcare ecosystem moving forward and can assist in breaking new barriers in mental healthcare research – ultimately creating a more holistic patient experience.
Photo: metamorworks, Getty Images
Zabir brings over 10 years of learning across risk-based and centralized monitoring, eCOA, business analysis, continuous process improvement, and analytics for clinical trials. He is part of IQVIA's eCOA team involved in the development and execution of the business strategy working closely with the cross-functional leadership teams to influence strategic priorities for the eCOA platform to ensure it meets and exceeds customer expectations and market demands. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Computer Science from India and has an MBA in Management and Marketing from Texas Tech University.
