Background: The rapid extent of digital innovation for the collection of data has transformed the way in which health professionals collect, share, and analyze health information for better clinical decision-making and health care. In the last decade, there has been an increased interest in telemedicine by mental health agencies; the gap between the need for care and both diagnosis and treatment is wide, and digital technology could play an important role in filling this gap. However, there are limited data on the effectiveness of the clinical process and cost-effectiveness of most telemedicine applications.
Objective: This study examined the implementation of the first Italian online, web-based, comprehensive screening tool and described the screening and diagnostic process through the interactive web platform in a child psychopathology clinic. This is a feasibility study that aims to present the design and implementation of the best practices to improve patient experiences and clinical outcomes. Moreover, the paper evaluates the platform with qualitative and quantitative measures.
Methods: We planned, designed, and implemented a web-based system to collect, store, and manage clinical data. The platform was developed by a multidisciplinary team composed of researchers, clinicians, and informatics professionals through different steps. First, we defined the clinical information to be collected. A number of measures were chosen, tapping several clinical risk areas such as neurodevelopmental disorders and emotional and behavioral problems. The web application architecture and process were then designed. The three phases of process design are described in detail: design of the input interface, processing design, and design of the output interface. Finally, the system has been implemented and evaluated. Based on indicators recommended by the National Quality Forum and the Italian National Guidelines, we evaluated the quality of the system and used quantitative measures that were replicable and comparable over time.
Results: We present the implemented architecture and features of Medea Information and Clinical Assessment On-Line (MedicalBIT), and we provide performance measures for the data collected between October 2018 and June 2021. The measured concepts pertain to four domains: access to care, financial impact/cost, experience, and effectiveness.
Conclusions: In this study, we present the successful implementation of an innovative digital tool. The findings of this study show that the implemented web-based platform appears to be an efficient, cost-effective, and feasible way to improve digital care in the field of child psychiatry.
Keywords: big data; children; clinical outcome; developmental psychopathology; digital data; digital health; digital innovation; digital intervention; mental health; neurodevelopmental disorders; psychopathology; screening tool; web platform.
©Paola Colombo, Silvia Busti Ceccarelli, Stefano Pacchiarini, Stefano Cribellati, Massimo Molteni. Originally published in JMIR Formative Research (https://formative.jmir.org), 11.07.2022.