How a mental health app helps Novant Health primary care doctors help you | Novant Health

Chances are, you or someone you know has needed professional help for depression, anxiety or any number of other concerns in recent years. We know some of the culprits: COVID, toxic politics and a social fabric being shredded by social media and other corrosive forces.

Dr. Gretchen Hoyle, a pediatrician with Novant Health Twin City Pediatrics – Clemmons, watched the number of pediatric mental health visits in her practice nearly triple from about 700 in 2017 and to around 2,000 in 2022.

So, she didn’t hesitate to participate in a program to pilot a new mental health app called NeuroFlow, designed to help primary care doctors take an active role in treating children’s and adults’ mental health challenges between appointments.

During the trial, she invited about 100 patients to try NeuroFlow, and about 80 of them registered. George Monjimbo, project manager for the NeuroFlow launch, said the high registration rate is indicative of “the value patients place on their provider’s input.”

Hoyle appreciates that “the content – including ways to track your moods and your sleep – is really accessible for young people. Of course, the most accessible thing in a young person’s life – their phone – is always right there.

It’s not a substitute for medication or seeing a therapist or psychiatrist, but it provides patients with additional support between visits.

After a successful yearlong pilot involving Hoyle’s clinic and 16 others, NeuroFlow was rolled out in June to 600-plus primary care, women’s, children’s and psychiatry clinics throughout the system, as well as to Novant Health’s more than 36,000 team members. Key to the project was generous grant funding from The Duke Endowment.

The goal: Faster access to mental health care and help managing the everyday challenges we face. Eleven conditions are covered on NeuroFlow, including ADHD, school-related stress, substance use disorder, general wellness and insomnia. The app includes videos, journaling and breathing exercises and articles that users can engage in.

Closing the gaps

When Paula Bird joined Novant Health in 2019 as vice president for behavioral health services, COVID-19 wasn’t yet a threat. “But even then, we recognized there was an access issue,” she said. “It’s been a long-simmering problem in the U.S. There were far more individuals who needed mental health services than we had the ability to provide.”

And even if you were able to get in with a therapist, the wait could be substantial. “We really wanted to decrease that timeframe,” she said. “NeuroFlow was one of those solutions to help fill in the gap.”

Health care systems across the country are adopting NeuroFlow. But Novant Health is going all in. “We’re not just telling patients about the app and wishing them luck,” project manager Monjimbo said. “Doctors are discussing with patients what they’re learning. It’s a two-way street. And if someone needs to get to the hospital or clinic for further evaluation, we’re ready to do that.”

Technology is often criticized for making us more isolated. But NeuroFlow demonstrates that technology can be a powerful connector, as well.

The app is helping usher in a new model of cognitive behavioral therapy. The old model, said Bird, involved patients remaining in therapy indefinitely – a scenario that led to a shortage of therapists.

“Now, we know it’s important for the provider to ask: ‘Why are you in therapy? What are your goals?’” Bird said. “After 12 or 13 sessions, many have some solid tools and coping skills and not need ongoing, weekly therapy. And that creates more capacity. When we ‘graduate’ patients, we can open up more access for individuals in acute need.”

Relevant content … plus rewards

Hoyle is a fan of the articles and short videos on NeuroFlow. Since content is added frequently, patients who breeze through their assignments will find more waiting when they’re ready. “When I order NeuroFlow for a patient, I choose from a list of content topics – anxiety, insomnia, academic stress, etc. – that I think would be helpful,” Hoyle said. “Patients can self-select other topics on the app they might be interested in.”

Content is organized by category and written in an engaging, easy-to-understand style. “My patients really enjoy interacting with the app,” Hoyle said. “They have a better understanding of their condition and how to manage it. They feel more confident in their treatment plan. And a lot of them talk about gift cards and other perks they get from making progress. That helps reinforce their engagement.”

Most of her patients are minors, so she talks with their parents about their diagnosis and how best to manage it, whether that’s through medicine, therapy, NeuroFlow or a combination. When a minor registers, they’re asked to list a trusted adult as their secondary contact.

Parents have asked Hoyle about where NeuroFlow’s data is stored. It’s on a HIPAA-compliant server, she tells them, and she likens it to MyChart – another repository of health information accessed online.

“For my adult patients – those in college – we don’t have to involve the parents,” she said. “But many times, they want their parents involved.”

That’s not surprising. As Bird said, “It takes a village. And with the call center, parents, the pediatrician and, when needed, a therapist – everyone is working together to make sure our patients get the care they need.”

NeuroFlow is becoming part of the village. It’s just one tool in the toolbox – but a highly effective one.

To learn more about NeuroFlow and see if it might be right for you or your child, talk to your provider. Or email [email protected], and someone will respond within 24 hours.