The Ministry of Health and Prevention, MoHAP, showcased an integrated project for empowering patients with major depressive disorder and treatment-resistant depression and to engage them in their treatment plan.
This comes as part of MoHAP’s participation in the 45th Arab Health 2020, which is being held at the Dubai World Trade Centre, January 27 – 30.
The cloud-computing-technology-based project, which is being implemented in partnership with Johnson & Johnson Global, includes a clinical online portal for healthcare professionals, and a smart application (On My Way).
The new project is being carried out at Al Amal Psychiatric Hospital in Dubai, with the aim of supporting patients and engaging them in their treatment process, through daily self-assessments and periodic clinical questionnaires.
“On My Way” smart app will collect real-time data on the patient's physical activity patterns, movement, sleep, and heart rate, etc. through the patient's smartphone and the connected tools the patient wears.
Also, the smart app reminds patients of their appointments and times of medication and includes personal action plans and psychological education about depression.
As for the web portal, it will offer healthcare professionals a constant graph on the patients ’progress, behavior and response to treatment. This will help clinicians to provide treatment and medication as per each patient’s condition.
Moreover, the data collected can provide studies with factual evidence and help build predictive algorithms for major depressive disorder and treatment-resistant depression for future optimal treatment.
Promoting Mental Health
HE Dr. Youssif Al Serkal, Assistant Undersecretary for the Ministry’s Hospitals Sector, said: “Predictive systems-based smart technologies play a growing role in providing the latest psychological services for patients with depression. On My Way Project comes as part of MoHAP's plans and programs to rehabilitate and support psychiatric patients and integrate them into society, pursuant to the goals of the national policy to promote mental health, ensure the rights of individuals suffering from mental illness, and to strengthen prevention and early detection programs for mental disorders.”
He added: “MoHAP is preparing g a comprehensive national statistical database for mental health, building local and global partnerships, and providing continuous support for the development of mental health-related scientific research, studies, and publications. This is in line with MoHAP’s strategy to provide comprehensive and integrated healthcare services in innovative and sustainable ways and achieve the goals of the National Agenda 2021 in creating an effective health system as per global standards.”
Integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) by 100%
The adoption of smart technologies in providing the latest psychological and mental services to patients comes as part of MoHAP’s keenness to integrate artificial intelligence by 100% in medical services to explore healthcare future and to create proactive paths and solutions to enhance patient happiness, in line with the UAE Strategy for Artificial Intelligence, one of the vital projects within the UAE Centennial 2071 to improve government performance, expedite achievement and create creative and innovative work environments, he concluded.
Supporting Patients with Major Depression Disorder
Dr. Kalthoum Al Baloushi, Director of MoHAP’s Hospitals Administration, said: MoHAP is striving to keep abreast with the of treatment developments in mental health in innovative and sustainable ways and to promote and develop mental health programs, achieve the social and psychological empowerment of the patient and to provide promotional, therapeutic and rehabilitation services of outstanding quality.”
She explained that the treatment-resistant depression is a major burden and a major cause of disability, stressing that the new project contributes to providing a communicative health solution for those patients and for their health care professionals.
It will also help engage and support patients by providing reports that streamline the provision of personalized treatment for each patient’s condition.