Mental health professionals’ perspectives on digital remote monitoring in services for people with psychosis

Background and Hypothesis
Digital remote monitoring (DRM) captures service users’ health-related data remotely using devices such as smartphones and wearables. Data can be analysed using advanced statistical methods (e.g., machine learning) and shared with clinicians to aid assessment of people with psychosis’ mental health, enabling timely intervention. Such methods show promise in detecting early signs of psychosis relapse. However, little is known about clinicians’ views on the use of DRM for psychosis. This study explores multi-disciplinary staff perspectives on using DRM in practice.

Study Design
59 mental health professionals were interviewed about their views on DRM in psychosis care. Interviews were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.

Study Results
Five overarching themes were developed, each with subthemes: 1) the perceived value of digital remote monitoring; two) clinicians’ trust in digital remote monitoring (three subthemes); 3) service user factors (two subthemes); 4) the technology-service user-clinician interface (two subthemes); 5) organisational context (two subthemes).

Conclusions
Participants saw the value of using DRM to detect early signs of relapse and to encourage service user self-reflection on symptoms. However, the accuracy of data collected, the impact of remote monitoring on therapeutic relationships, data privacy, and workload, responsibility and resource implications were key concerns. Policies and guidelines outlining clinicians’ roles in relation to DRM
and comprehensive training on its use are essential to support its implementation in practice. Further evaluation regarding the impact of digital remote monitoring on service user outcomes, therapeutic relationships, clinical workflows and service costs is needed.