ID-5184 Wonca Abstracts supplement A-K 13-10-23 - Flipbook - Page 319
WONCA 2023 Supplement 1: WONCA 2023 abstracts (A–K)
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
Bridging the gap between digital and face-to-face mental
health services: Integrating the Link-Me tool into a national
mental health platform
A/Prof Caroline Johnson1, Dr Catherine Kaylor-Hughes1,2, Kylie McKenzie1, Steven Savvas1,
Svjetlana Vukusic1, Prof Jane Gunn1
1
The University of Melbourne, 2University of Nottingham
Most people in Australia who seek help for their mental health from the health system will do so via
their general practitioner. One of the challenges in improving outcomes of treatment in this setting
is the appropriate tailoring of care according to the needs of the patient, contextual factors and the
resources available. The Link-Me randomised controlled trial tested a new model of digitally supported
collaborative stepped care and care navigation for primary care patients with symptoms of depression
and anxiety, building on the clinical prediction tool developed as part of the diamond and Target-D
studies. The Link-Me trial demonstrated that prognosis-based matching of interventions reduces
psychological distress in patients with anxiety or depressive symptoms, particularly in those
with severe symptoms, and is associated with better outcomes when patients access the
recommended treatment.
In this presentation we describe the journey from publication of the Link-Me trial findings towards its
implementation into routine practice, via integration with a government-funded digital mental health
platform, www.headtohealth.gov.au. Until now, the Head to Health platform has focused on directing
consumers to government-funded digital mental health resources. This project represents a significant
shift towards integration of digital and in-clinic solutions to tailor mental health care solutions for
primary care patients. The barriers and enablers to appropriately integrating digital and face-to-face
mental health services have been key learnings in the first 12 months of this implementation project.
Communicating prognosis and therapy options for online help seekers, to providers in primary care
clinics, is a crucial consideration of this work.
317