Digital mental health companies are struggling to rebuild trust with patients after a series of scandals. Cerebral was the subject of multiple federal probes from the Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission, whose investigation into possible overprescription of stimulants resulted in the replacement of its CEO.
Geode Health Chief Medical Officer Ravi Shah, MD, outlined in Behavioral Health Business how startups can mitigate the fallout from highly visible industry scandals like Cerebral.
How mental health startups can bolster trust by improving quality:
1. Appoint a licensed clinician to the executive team
2. Include clinical metrics as key performance indicators
3. Establish evidence and/or guideline-based policies
4. Measure clinical outcomes using validated metrics
5. Hire only thoroughly vetted providers
6. Supervise master's level practitioners by instituting required chart review
7. Invest in learning tools and an ongoing training program