Khanna, Amit and Jones, Graham (2021) Envisioning Post-Pandemic Neurological, Psychiatric and Mental Health Care. Frontiers in Digital Health, 3 (803315). pp. 1-6. ISSN ISSN=2673-253X

Abstract

The SARS-Cov-2 pandemic has placed a dramatic burden on managed healthcare and perhaps nowhere as evident as in neurological and psychiatric disease care. Attenuated access to hospital services and changes in prescribing practices have had a marked impact system wide. The severity of the pandemic has also required renormalization of social interactions at a population level placing additional stresses on society at large and an increased anxiety burden on vulnerable patient groups and the broader community. This said, the duration of the pandemic has mandated adaptability of the entire care system and the oft-vaunted benefits of telehealth have now been subjected to deep scrutiny at scale. Positive experiences have been reported by both patients and providers all the way from routine check-ups, to use of cognitive behavioral therapy associated with mental disorders, and management of complex diseases such as multiple sclerosis and other neurological and psychiatric conditions. Integration into standard care looks likely in the post pandemic era with many healthcare systems moving to expand reimbursement categories and develop equitable incentive models for both developers and providers. Equally, as fuller vaccination rates are achieved, hesitation and aversion to prescription of potentially immunomodulating therapeutics will abate, allowing a degree of normalcy to return for some of the most afflicted and at risk patient populations. In this commentary we share perspective on how the future of care may evolve through hybrid delivery models, and the advent of new therapeutic approaches which can address pain points identified during the pandemic.

Item Type:	Article
Keywords:	Neurological disease, psychiatry, COVID, telehealth, cognitive behavioral therapy, depression, multiple sclerosis
Date Deposited:	04 Jan 2022 00:45
Last Modified:	04 Jan 2022 00:45
URI:	https://oak.novartis.com/id/eprint/45184