Aug 24
2021
Harnessing The Power of AI To Empower The Future of Mental Health Services
By Oliver Harrison, CEO, Koa Health.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is already part of our everyday lives. According to research by PwC, 86% of businesses are already reaping the benefits of better customer experience through AI. Further, 25% of companies harnessing AI expect to see the tech pay out in increased revenue during 2021. It’s clear that AI and machine learning (ML) have grown firm roots in the digital landscape.
AI use cases are beginning to filter into healthcare, too, including the optimization of hospital staffing, patient monitoring, screening scans for abnormalities, and supporting clinician decision-making.
Given the huge supply-demand gap in mental healthcare, there is real potential for AI to play a role. However, it is important that it is deployed in the right way.
Customizable technology for a personal approach
There is no-one-size-fits-all in mental health. Every individual has distinctly different needs and goals, and as such, the mental health tools must reflect this. Good clinicians do this instinctively, channelling their training and years of experience. However, there are simply not enough clinicians to meet mental health demand. It’s estimated that more than 26 million individuals experiencing a mental illness are not receiving treatment in the US alone.
Technology can help address this yawning gap in supply, but this won’t help if the solutions provided aren’t tailored to the unique needs of the individual. This is where AI can play a role. Smartphones, and increasingly wearables, are able to capture data from which algorithms can generate insights that can be used to personalize care, leading to better mental health. We’ve invested in technology (protected by more than a dozen patents) and powerful algorithms that can track symptoms, emotions and activities to power a recommender system that gets the right tool to the right person at the right time.