The Hol Picture

The treatment of behavioral health conditions has historically been challenging. Despite the prevalent use of the DSM-V in clinical settings, clinicians lack a detailed and standardized vocabulary to discuss these conditions. This is due to a range of factors, from wide differences in disease presentation to stigma surrounding mental health conditions. The lack of standardized vocabulary has led to a subjective approach in treating these conditions, with each clinician relying on his or her own experience.

However, as more and more patients who are treated for behavioral health conditions are documented within an electronic health record (EHR) system, researchers now have a valuable tool for studying and improving the treatment of behavioral health conditions. By bringing together vast quantities of real-world data to understand how care and treatment are delivered in clinical practice, we can start building a set of standard definitions and objective measures for mental health conditions.

This is why we have created the NeuroBlu Database, in which we have extracted and organized EHR data from behavioral health clinics across the U.S. Our NeuroBlu data has thus far been leveraged by 5 of the top 15 biopharmaceutical companies with a behavioral health pipeline. These companies can benefit greatly from EHR-derived real-world data, particularly in the areas of research and development, medical affairs, and health economics and outcomes research (HEOR).

Previously on this blog, my colleague Alex has called for a paradigm shift to clinical data derived from the EHR as front-line evidence. He also alluded to some of the limitations of claims data, which have traditionally been used as a primary form of real-world data.

This is an excerpt from a longer post that originally appeared on Going Digital: Behavioral Health Tech.

Real-world data (RWD) are becoming increasingly critical to clinical research. The FDA has put forth definitions surrounding RWD, as well as issued guidance around its use in research emphasizing the principle of data being “fit-for-purpose”—selecting the data needed to answer the question at hand. Meanwhile, stakeholders engaged in clinical development have increasingly recognized that RWD will enable them to conduct studies faster, at a lower cost, and often, with a more representative and diverse population.

However, not all RWD is fit-for-purpose—that is, captured and stored in such a way that the data is ready to address the question at hand. In order to move forward with using RWD in a way that is efficient and effective, we need to build a shared understanding of the different types of data within the broad umbrella that is RWD and make clear which type of RWD is fit-for-purpose for a specific question.

The HM Treasury in the United Kingdom recently announced an exciting and truly forward-looking initiative for healthcare: a package of government funding, called the Life Sci for Growth package, to fuel research and bring treatments to patients faster. There are many impressive projects being funded, from clinical trial improvements to preparation efforts for future public health emergencies. 

Huge amounts of data are collected throughout a person’s journey through the behavioral healthcare system. From demographic data captured during intake to in-depth conversations between patients and clinicians about symptoms, daily activities, and goals, most of the information captured about a patient becomes part of their electronic health record (EHR). 

This blog post is a continuation of our Data Differentiators series, in which we’re sharing how the NeuroBlu Database stands out from other EHR-derived real-world data sources. For previous installments of the series, see here and here.

This blog post is a continuation of our Data Differentiators series, in which we’re sharing how the NeuroBlu Database stands out from other EHR-derived real-world data sources. For previous installments of the series, see here.

Today marks World Mental Health Day, a day of recognition organized and sponsored by the World Health Organization. All month, we will also honor ADHD Awareness Month by looking back at some of the most important ADHD research we have done this year.

Recently, FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf spoke at Academy Health’s Health Datapalooza meeting and laid out several areas that the health care system must prioritize to improve outcomes and increase life expectancy. Many of his comments centered on better evidence, with a special emphasis on populations who are disproportionately impacted by negative outcomes.