Tehnopol and Janssen are helping to create innovation for the treatment of depression

Last Thursday, a workshop was held in cooperation with the Tehnopol Connected Health Cluster and Janssen Estonia (Johnson & Johnson Estonia) with the aim of bringing the necessary innovation to the field of depression.

Several specialists contributed to the workshop: psychiatrists, GPs, mental health nurses, patient representatives and state representatives. The online workshop identified the problems and needs of patients diagnosed with depression and the medical personnel that help them.

According to Piret Hirv, the head of the Connected Health cluster, it was nice to see the active and professional contribution of all participants in the event. “It shows that the issue is important and we are ready to make efforts to find solutions. It is important to use a positive flow, take the proposed ideas to the next level and start looking for technologies that support problem-solving. The cluster will help to realize future solutions that will benefit us all by developing the healthcare sector, ”said Hirv.

After the workshop, IT partners will join the project, together with whom we plan to build solutions for the most pressing needs and create innovation in the treatment of depression.

Why are we doing this?

• According to the WHO, depression is the most common mental disorder, causing significant health loss. Depression is a complex disease, making it difficult to diagnose and treat.
• Primary care is very important in the treatment of depression, but a large proportion of patients are not invited or do not attend follow-up visits. However, it is known that depression does not improve with one visit.
• Mental health research and statistics show that the need for mental health support services is growing significantly. There is already a shortage of 30-40 psychiatrists in Estonia today. There is also a shortage of clinical psychologists, school psychologists, mental health nurses and GPs

Source: Green book on Mental Health (Ministry of Social Affairs, 2020)

In the project, we aim to outline and agree with all key stakeholders what are the problems for the treatment personnel and the patient where technological solutions could help. After that, the development teams will have the opportunity to develop a technological solution based on the needs of the treatment personnel and the patient.