A groundbreaking new AI algorithm has been shown to accurately predict mental health crises in a real-world NHS setting, giving hope such technology could enable early intervention and improve outcomes.
Digital mental health provider Koa Health worked with Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust to analyse anonymised electronic health records, collected over seven years, to monitor patients for risk of a mental health crisis.
Through the project, the model has been found to correctly predict more than half of the crises 28 days in advance, which proved clinically valuable in 64 per cent of cases, either in terms of managing caseloads or mitigating the risk of crisis.
Results of the first-of-its-kind study come during Mental Health Awareness Month, and at a time when nearly one billion people worldwide 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.
Through the proven efficacy of Koa Health’s system during its trial, the huge potential of technology in supporting healthcare during such times becomes clearer, with Koa Health now looking to undertake the larger-scale studies that will be required to gain regulatory approval.
“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,” says Dr Oliver Harrison, CEO of Koa Health.
“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.”
