Getting the ethical and legal eMental health implementation policy context right

SECTOR UPDATE - eMHIC

According to a recent report by market intelligence firm CB Insights, digital health investment around the world hit an all-time high of $57.2 billion in funding in 2021.

This 79% jump (from the $32 billion raised globally in 2020) fueled by health consumer demand for eMental Health solutions has caught policy makers and service providers by surprise.

It is a well-documented fact now, how technology has reduced barriers to high quality mental health care. But with less than 30% of the available solutions found to be safe and effective, there is an urgent need to focus on responsible governance. Mental health system administrators and commissioning entities want to know which eMental Health solutions are safe and effective, where they could be found, or how trustworthy they are in terms of data safety and security. Governance frameworks are still catching up with the rapid evolution of clinical practices but in a fragmented manner within siloed commissioning structures.

The eMHIC Position Statement on the Ethics and Law of eMental Health is an excellent resource for mental health system administrators looking at how to implement safe and effective eMental Health solutions at scale. It provides guidance about key principles relating to law and ethics, and practical calls to action.

The development of the first version of this Position Statement has been an international effort with high quality input and advice from Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Norway, UK, USA and the APEC Digital Mental Health Hub. This is why governments around the world are embracing the development of eMHIC’s Position Statement on Ethics and Law in eMental Health as a practical guidance document.

The Position Statement on Ethics and Law is now available on the eMHIC website.
(https://emhicglobal.com/ethics-law-in-emental-health-position-statement/)

Source: eMHIC media release

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