• Healthcare

Health Systems Develop Proprietary Mental Health Apps to Tackle Provider Burnout Due to COVID-19

March 13, 2023

 

• Health systems have developed proprietary mental health apps to support their staff due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Developing their own app gave health systems the ability to make changes that fit their system and staff needs.

• The apps offer various features such as wellness programs, crisis hotlines, counseling services, and other services to prevent healthcare provider burnout.

 

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ontario, California-based Prime Healthcare identified a need for mental health resources and created its exclusive mental health app, In Prime Health. The program offers virtual yoga and meditation, soothing symphony music, and podcasts on problems employees could be facing. Also, it has a crisis hotline that workers can call for assistance with drug usage and a scannable QR code that connects them immediately to treatment.

Prime Healthcare decided to develop its app rather than work with a vendor to have more control over the final product and the flexibility to make adjustments that meet the health system’s objectives. 

The program was rolled out on a trial basis at 45 Prime hospital campuses to support and advertise the app as part of the program rollout by the health system’s HR division.

Other healthcare organizations have also created mental health and wellness apps. One example is the Resolution app from Houston’s Memorial Hermann Health System, which provides a four-week immersive program to encourage a healthy lifestyle with virtual workouts, guided meditation, and carefully curated grocery lists and meal plans. Moreover, Memorial Hermann gives its workers access to wellness and mental health applications, including Spring Health, Headspace, and Noom.

Froedtert Health developed a list of reliable apps based on a “formulary” basis, some of which are included in its Epic EHR. These choices include Silver Cloud for mental health, Glooko for diabetes, and Baby Scripts for expectant mothers. According to a 2021 study published in Healthcare: The Journal of Delivery Science and Innovation, participants who used Froedtert’s digital mental health platform over the study period saw a 20% decrease in their symptoms of anxiety and sadness.

Renton, Wash.-based Providence launched a variety of wellness apps to support its healthcare providers during the pandemic, including an “intelligent” digital front door that integrates a stress meter and mental health apps from Lyra Health and Credible Mind, as well as tele-spiritual health sessions from trained chaplains. The platform has more than 150K digital engagements in 2023 and increased year over year by double in the number of providers engaging in wellness activities. More importantly, 44k providers have taken the virtual suicide-prevention training.

Particularly since the pandemic outbreak, creating apps for mental health and wellness has become more crucial for healthcare providers. Employees, patients, and other community members may find these apps helpful for finding mental health information and assistance. The creation and use of these apps will likely continue to increase as healthcare practitioners emphasize wellness and mental health.