As AI researchers identify one condition after another that might be more effectively treated using machine learning and other AI techniques, other stakeholders are forming new partnerships and beginning to bring AI to bear on an array of new treatments and services.
For example, Quartet, a healthcare technology and services company focused on mental health, recently announced a new partnership with Cambia Health Solutions to help address the needs of people with mental health conditions.
The partnership will first launch to regional health plan members in Washington state and later expand to Oregon, Idaho, and Utah. With Quartet’s technology and services, Cambia’s regional health plans aim to better integrate mental health care with primary care.
According to the companies, nearly one in four Americans experience a mental health condition, yet more than half don’t get the treatment or support they need. Many also experience poor health, chronic illnesses, lower quality of life, and shorter life expectancy as a result. By addressing the mind and body and allowing primary care doctors and mental health providers to work together, patients can get the best care and see improvements in their health and wellbeing.
“We believe that mental health is health, and strive to get people the right care at the right time, said David Wennberg, MD, MPH, CEO of Quartet, at the time of the announcement. “We look forward to working with more providers and their patients in Washington and throughout the Pacific Northwest to help people get the care and support they need.”
Traditionally, it can take months for people to get an appointment with a psychiatrist or therapist. Quartet’s network of mental health providers offers in-person and telehealth options and online resources to ensure people are matched to the right care based on their needs, preferences, and insurance coverage in the right setting and at the right time.
In a similar move, Blue Shield of California recently announced the launch of BlueSky—a collaboration with the California Department of Education and a host of not-for-profits—to make online and other mental health resources available to California's middle- and high school students.
Along with online resources, the BlueSky initiative will provide one-on-one therapy for students; youth mental health first aid training for many of California’s public school teachers and staff; and student-led peer groups in high schools.
The BlueSky initiative, which will include organizations such as Wellness Together, National Alliance on Mental Illness California and DoSomething.org, will be evaluated by a research team from the University of California following its initial pilot to determine the impact on student- and school-level outcomes, the Blues plan says.