Revolutionising Therapeutic Precision
MindLife, in collaboration with the Clinical and Applied Psychology Unit at the University of Sheffield, has developed StratCare – an advanced e-Triage stratification tool designed to empower psychological therapists.
Currently, NHS Talking Therapy patients are offered “stepped care” interventions: commencing with low-intensity treatments and only subsequently being offered high-intensity interventions if the initial low-intensity treatments offered prove to be inadequate.
However, a significant challenge arises with this approach as patients with complex clinical presentations often find limited benefit in low-intensity treatments, leading to dropouts or deterioration before they are given the opportunity to access higher-intensity options. StratCare revolutionises this paradigm by analysing patient data gathered during the initial assessment to prescribe low- or high-intensity therapies based on the complexity of their clinical presentation. This process hinges on an evidence-based model that synthesises demographic, personality, and diagnostic insights.
The effectiveness of StratCare has been demonstrated in Clustered Randomised Clinical Trials. The assessment forms that StratCare users use are based upon the standard PHQ-9 and GAD-7 questionnaires, the results of which are analysed using artificial intelligence algorithms to offer recommendations. The outcome of these trials was groundbreaking, as the StratCare approach demonstrated higher clinical effectiveness in treating depression symptoms compared to the conventional stepped-care models. Notably, this heightened precision came at a modest additional cost.
To delve into the groundbreaking world of StratCare, we invite you to explore the StratCare website.