Digital Health Technologies in Mental Health Care: Changing Perspectives of Health Care Professionals from 2019 to 2021

Abstract

Introduction

Demand for digital mental health tools has risen since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic; however, their evolving use in mental health care is not well understood. We surveyed mental health care professionals (HCPs) before and after the onset of the pandemic and assessed how use of and attitudes about digital technology changed.

Methods

We distributed a digital health survey to HCPs in the United States in 2019 (pre-pandemic; N = 141) and in 2021 (during the pandemic; N = 151). Both surveys recorded the respondents’ perceived barriers to integrating new digital health technologies and the tools they currently used in their practice.

Results

HCP use of telemedicine increased from 47% of respondents in 2019 to 81% in 2021, as did the use of mHealth sensors (2% vs 10%). Patient comfort with technology remained one of the biggest barriers to implementing new digital tools (40% vs 43%), while difficulty integrating digital tools into clinical practice became less common (40% vs 32%). Data management (19% vs 10%) and patient acceptability (19% vs 13%) were cited less often as barriers in 2021. Respondents’ thoughts on what can be most improved by digital technology shifted substantially, with increased access to care rising from 27% of responses in 2019 to 46% in 2021.

Conclusions

The pandemic has changed how HCPs perceive digital health technologies and how they implement these tools in clinical practice. A growing number of HCPs believe increased access to care is the outcome that technology can most improve.

Funding

Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization, Inc., Princeton, NJ, USA