Research and Development to Improve Rural Mental Health Care

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT TO IMPROVE RURAL MENTAL HEALTH CARE

Sponsoring Institution

National Institute of Food and Agriculture

Project Status

COMPLETE

Funding Source

SMALL BUSINESS GRANT

Reporting Frequency

Annual

Accession No.

0210130

Grant No.

2007-33610-17984

Cumulative Award Amt.

(N/A)

Proposal No.

2007-00463

Multistate No.

(N/A)

Project Start Date

Jul 1, 2007

Project End Date

Feb 29, 2008

Grant Year

2007

Program Code

[8.6]- (N/A)

Recipient Organization
Iconic Health, LLC
1141 South 7th Street
St. Louis,MO 65203

Performing Department
(N/A)

Non Technical Summary
Rural communities are underrepresented in mental health care availability. IconoPsych seeks to improve the efficiency and quality of mental health services in underserved communities, primarily geographically dispersed rural areas.

Animal Health Component

100%

Research Effort Categories

Basic

(N/A)

Applied

100%

Developmental

(N/A)

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
805	6099	3030	100%

Knowledge Area
805 - Community Institutions, Health, and Social Services;

Subject Of Investigation
6099 - People and communities, general/other;

Field Of Science
3030 - Information and communication;

Goals / Objectives
IconoPsych has developed its SBIR Project to explore the technical feasibility associated with producing and marketing high-quality mental health delivery software and teleportal based communications technologies. Specific technical needs that will be explored in this project are: 1.) Creation of electronic software system that facilitates improved communication between mental health care practitioners and patients. What is the appropriate electronic format for mental health professionals that will lead to improved communication between doctor and patient? What is the appropriate electronic format for patients that will lead to improved communication between doctor and patient? Can IconoPsych's computer technology specialists engineer appropriate programming to meet the goals of the project? Is the software user-friendly for mental health clerical staff? 2.) Develop software system that increases efficiency and quality-of-care compared with current paper-based record-system. Does the IconoPsych software system decrease costs for mental health service providers. If so, how much? Does this software system decrease clerical overhead by cutting clerical person-hours? Is so, how much? Does this software system increase the amount of time doctors are able to spend in face-to-face care with patients? If so, how much? Is there a perceived qualitative improvement in mental health service delivery due to IconoPsych's software system on the part of doctors? Is there a perceived qualitative improvement in mental health service delivery due to IconoPsych's software system on the part of patients? What are the regulatory needs that need to be addressed? 3.) Creation of tele-portal based health care delivery hardware that facilitates long-distance care. Are the tele-portal service delivery modules user-friendly from the perspective of the patients and clinics? Are the tele-portal service delivery modules user-friendly from the perspective of the doctors providing the care? Is there adequate qualitative service delivery when using the teleportal modules?

Project Methods
Task #1: Develop and implement a survey that documents rural mental health care service provider needs as they relate to the IconoPsych business model. IconoPsych will create a multi-question survey that explores the need for its proposed products and services in rural communities. This survey will serve the project by providing rural mental health service providers with an opportunity to assist in the design, scope and format of IconoPsych's products. This portion of the work will also provide preliminary contact with potential customers in future phases of business development. Methodology: The survey will be conducted with rural mental health care service providers in rural Missouri. The questions will be developed with the assistance of social science experts at the University of Missouri's College of Medicine. Surveys will be conducted by mail and with follow-up phone calls to non-respondents. Results will be collected and distributed to all participants. Task #2: Create a basic prototype of the IconoPsych software system. IconoPsych will work with technology development consultants at Quilogy to develop a custom software package that meets the needs of rural mental health care providers and patients. Methodology: This product development research will be guided by the outcomes of the survey from future end-users. Software development experts will collaborate to create a software package that creates user-friendly products. Task #3: Create a basic prototype of the IconoPsych tele-portal based hardware. IconoPsych will work with technology development consultants at Quilogy to develop a custom tele-portal hardware package that meets the needs of rural mental health care providers and patients. Methodology: This product development research will be guided by the outcomes of the survey from future end-users. Electronic technology experts will collaborate to create a hardware package that creates user-friendly products. Task #4: Test and refine the prototypes of the IconoPsych software package and tele-portal based hardware. IconoPsych will work with rural mental health service providers to test its prototype products. These tests will inform and guide IconoPsych as it works to refine its prototype products. Methodology: IconoPsych staff will travel to rural mental health service clinics to perform test-runs of its prototype products. Feedback will be collected and used to improve the prototypes. Task #5: Perform feasibility analysis and strategic planning process to facilitate next steps. IconoPsych will work through a comprehensive feasibility process that addresses the lessons learned from its research and development efforts. A strategic planning process will guide the company's future development. Methodology: Business development experts will be consulted to facilitate an appropriate process for feasibility and strategic planning efforts. Preliminary discussions have begun between iconoPsych and the Medical Informatics Department for partnership in this project. That Department, headed by Ken Bopp, Ph.D, has agreed to consider offering this problem as a real-life challenge for teams of graduate students.

Progress 07/01/07 to 02/29/08

Outputs
OUTPUTS: IconoPsych Care, LLC is developing software to deliver web-based telepsychiatry services integrated with mental health-specific electronic medical recordkeeping. Under this project, a survey was developed and implemented that documents rural mental health care service provider needs as they relate to IconoPsych's business model. A basic prototype of the IconoPsych software system was created. A basic prototype of the IconoPsych tele-portal based hardware was developed. The prototypes of the IconoPsych software package and tele-portal based hardware are currently under testing. Feasibility analysis and strategic planning process were completed. PARTICIPANTS: The IconoPsych Care, LLC team includes five partners: Jason Cafer MD (adult psychiatrist), Shane Bradley MD (child psychiatrist), Ali Hummos MD (psychiatry resident and computer programmer) Dr. Tim Trull PhD (a tenured Psychology professor) and Michael Schrader, MBA (business professor with significant experience moving companies from the idea stage to profitability). The partners of IconoPsych Care LLC are also contracting with Anthony, Allan & Quinn (AAQ) and The Incubation Factory (TIF) to complement the partners in the company. TARGET AUDIENCES: IconoPsych Care LLC is initially targeting rural residents with mental health care needs, and mental health practitioners who serve that audience, with its telepsychiatry and electronic medical recordkeeping technologies. The IconoPsych Care LLC product suite will significantly increase access to mental health care services in rural areas, which currently face accute shortages of such services. IconoPsych Care LLC is also developing relationships with the US military to provide distance mental health care to the enlisted population.

Impacts
This project moved IconoPsych Care LLC closer to bringing a web-based telepsychiatry software package integrated with mental-health specific electronic medical recordkeeping technology to market. The multi-question survey created by IconoPsych explored the need for its proposed products and services in rural communities. The questions were developed with the assistance of sociologists at the University of Missouri, as well as mental health providers and researchers the University of Missouri's College of Medicine. The survey was created online and respondents were recruited via email and personal contact during grand rounds. To date, the survey has identified thirteen mental health service providers interested in being test sites for the IconoPsych product suite. Several of these providers oversee more than one service delivery point. IconoPsych developed basic prototypes of its software system and the tele-portal based hardware system which are currently under pre-market testing for efficiency and information security functions. Feasibility analysis and strategic planning processes were completed, and determined that the IconoPsych software/hardware systems are marketable and determined the amount of capital needed to bring the product to market. An extensive business plan and a focused commercialization plan have been developed as part of this process.

Publications

No publications reported this period