Unpeeling the onion: Digital triage and monitoring of general practice, private psychiatry, and psychology

Abstract

Objective The Australian federal government is considering a ‘digital front door’ to mental healthcare. The Brain and Mind Centre at the University of Sydney has published a discussion paper advocating that the government should adopt a comprehensive model of digital triage and monitoring (DTM) based on a government-funded initiative Project Synergy ($30 million). We critically examine the final report on Project Synergy, which is now available under a Freedom of Information request. Conclusion The DTM model is disruptive. Non-government organisations would replace general practitioners as care coordinators. Patients, private psychiatrists, and psychologists would be subjected to additional layers of administration, assessment, and digital compliance, which may decrease efficiency, and lengthen the duration of untreated illness. Only one patient was deemed eligible for DTM, however, during the 8-month regional trial of Project Synergy (recruitment rate = 1/500,000 across the region). Instead of an unproven DTM model, the proposed ‘digital front door’ to Australian mental healthcare should emphasise technology-enabled shared care (general practitioners and mental health professionals) for the treatment of moderate-to-severe illness.