JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Digital transformation is the adoption of digital technologies by an entity in an effort to increase operational efficiency. In mental health care, digital transformation entails technology implementation to improve the quality of care and clinical outcomes; however, the process of digital transformation is in its infancy, and to our knowledge there is no proposed or established model for its successful integration within an inpatient psychiatric setting. Most psychiatric hospitals rely heavily on “high-touch” interventions, or those that require in-person, face-to-face interaction with the patient. Those that are exploring digital mental health care interventions, particularly for outpatient care, often copiously commit to the “high-tech” model, losing the crucial human element. Solving the complex challenges within mental health care demands that new mental health technology is developed in concert with a use protocol by and for the end user (clinical care provider), allowing the “high-touch” to inform the “high-tech,” and vice versa. Therefore, in this Viewpoint we propose a Design Implementation for Mental-Health End-Users (DIME) framework which outlines the process to develop a prototype of a mental health care intervention in parallel with a protocol for the end-user to deliver the intervention. By balancing the design of the digital healthcare intervention with end-user resource development, we can significantly improve mental health outcomes and pioneer digital transformation nationwide.