The behavioral health segment of digital health has attracted a lot of attention, especially since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Last year, digital health startups offering mental health care raised $5.1 billion, outpacing all other clinical indications with a whopping $3.3 billion and nearly double the total funding in 2020. according to a report by Rock Health analyzing investment trends in 2021. The report notes that some of the factors driving this trend include the integration of mental health services into broader virtual care platforms and the growth of virtual options even for intensive behavioral health needs.
Mental health will be part of the conversation at MedCity INVEST Digital health conference in Dallas scheduled for September 28, in collaboration with Health Wildcatters. The panel “Can mental illness be treated with technology and without drugs?” will explore how digital health tools are meeting these needs. Jennifer Gentile, senior vice president of clinical innovation, iesoattending psychologist, Department of Endocrinology, Children’s Hospital Boston, is just one of the participants in this session.
Asked what type of digital health solutions can help manage mental health and reduce drug addiction, Gentile responded via email:
“Digital solutions that offer 24-hour support allow the individual to receive care when it is convenient and convenient for them. Solutions that are evidence-based, engaging, and personalized to the individual with specific treatment plans tailored to their goals are the ones poised for success. Offering individual choice about how and when to participate in care increases the likelihood that the individual can better manage their addiction.
“Options such as peer support, individual therapy and remote medication-assisted therapy are relatively more effective than those that offer a single option. Finally, those solutions that address the social determinants of health in addition to mental health support may be more impactful because they take a holistic approach rather than simply addressing the challenges of addiction.
The panel will also feature Fay Sahai, Partner, Telosity Ventures, who will serve as moderator. She will be joined by Deepak Gopalakrishna, CEO, Oxford VR.
Other participants in the conference include:
- Hubert Zajicek, MD, CEO, Co-Founder and Partner, Health Wildcatters
- Adam Dakin, Partner, HealthTech, Dreamit HealthTech
- Jason Considine, Chief Commercial Officer, Experian Health
- Dera Howard, founder and patient advocate, Saving Grace Epilepsy Foundation
- Adrian Rodriguez, Vice President of Quality and Safety, Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company, PBC
- Joshua Fredle, Head of PBM and Specialty Product Innovation, CVS Caremark
- Cyril Phillip, Vice President of Digital Enterprise, Bon Secours Mercy Health
- Mona Flores, PhD, Global Head of Medical AI, NVIDIA
To view the conference agenda, Press here.
picture: metamorworks, Getty Images