THE ESSENTIAL NETWORK (TEN): A BLENDED MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE FOR AUSTRALIAN HEALTHCARE WORKERS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

ABSTRACT

Background: Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at significant risk of poor mental health (MH) because of the COVID-19 pandemic. MH services are available, but many are not sensitive to the needs and workplace culture of HCWs. 'Blended care', which integrates digital and person-to-person care, may leverage the scalability and anonymity of digital health while offering a choice of care options. Objectives: To outline the design and evaluation of The Essential Network (TEN), a blended mental health service created for Australian HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: We outline the development of TEN and service design methodologies, including stakeholder and user consultation, and strategies for adaptive service delivery. TEN was evaluated through an audit of service analytics (website analytics and clinical service analytics). A total of 105 HCWs also participated in an observational study to use TEN for 1 month. Participants completed MH and service acceptability measures at baseline and followup. Findings: TEN has serviced more than 57,000 HCWs. More than 7000 HCWs completed a digital MH assessment and received personalised referral to services. Engagement was highest for self-assessments and self-help resources. Preliminary results from the observational study indicate high service acceptability. Conclusion: TEN united peak professional bodies and service providers to create a digital hub offering HCWs a range of MH resources and help-seeking options. With more than 800,000 HCWs in Australia, uptake of the service has been relatively low. To leverage the potential of blended care, such services must be implemented in a way that ensures that HCWs feel safe to use them.