66 FEATURE
Bridging the chasm
E very year, one in five Canadians experience symptoms of a mental illness, yet most face
Overloaded primary care providers often seek psychiatric guidance, but existing models cause clinicians — and patients — to face unacceptable, often lengthy, delays. Clinicians wait for consult requests or turn to decision-support tools, only to wade through extensive content repositories that lack real-world clinical insights or guidance that’s tailored to their needs. For patients, wait times to see psychiatric specialists, and the initiation of appropriate treatment, far exceed what’s considered clinically acceptable, 1 meaning patients, their families and even their workplaces bear the ongoing impact of untreated or ineffectively treated mental illness.
Technology’s role in effective and timely mental healthcare
unacceptable wait times and inadequate treatment. Fueled by workforce shortages and outdated delivery models, those in clinical practice face mounting pressure to deliver healthcare while burdened with excessive administrative work; inefficiencies in practice are compounded in part by inadequate technology. Novel solutions that support healthcare providers to deliver timely, evidence-based care, fueled by advancements in AI, have the potential to provide the immediate, scalable support that’s desperately needed.
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