“I think really it’s just another tool in your suite of tools you can use as a clinician.” General Practitioner Dr Bianca Cannon shares her journey using digital mental health with clients and what happens when we challenge the fears we might have around incorporating digital tools into practice. Dr Bianca Cannon is a GP who is passionate
“I think really it’s just another tool in your suite of tools you can use as a clinician.”
General Practitioner Dr Bianca Cannon shares her journey using digital mental health with clients and what happens when we challenge the fears we might have around incorporating digital tools into practice.
Dr Bianca Cannon is a GP who is passionate about digital mental health and the role it can play in fostering trust and positivity within the health professional-client relationship. Specialising in preventative health, mental health and sleep medicine, Dr Cannon says it’s this intersection in healthcare that first sparked her interest in understanding how digital mental health tools and resources could empower her patients to take control over their own health.
“In general practice you’re exposed to a lot of patients with mental health issues and a lot of patients with sleep problems … there’s that sort of bi-directional relationship between sleep and mental health … and I realised that, actually, a lot of that can be managed in general practice. Both of those issues can have such a big impact on physical health as well so by helping patients with those concerns you can improve overall well-being in the process. It’s a very satisfying area of medicine to focus on in term of preventative health.”
In this episode of Digital Mental Health Musings, Dr Cannon talks about the techniques and skills that health professionals already have to help their clients get the greatest benefit from digital mental health. We discuss the role that motivational interviewing plays when it comes to selecting the right candidates for digital mental health interventions and Dr Cannon steps us through exactly how she incorporates programs like THIS WAY UP into her practice using a blended care model approach.
“The important thing initially is how you introduce the idea of digital services and how you explain and consent patients to follow that path,” explains Dr Cannon.
Becoming familiar with even one program, adds Dr Cannnon, and making sure that clients know that you’re still going to be an active part of their treatment by scheduling regular follow up appointments will help build confidence, trust and motivation to engage in digital mental health services.
“Provided you do that in the right way, I’ve actually found digital mental health very positive for the doctor patient relationship – patients are very appreciative that you’ve offered them this option and they appreciate the follow up. So, it doesn’t at all replace the therapeutic relationship … patients still want to come back and see you and ask questions or discuss their experiences and we can check on their progress and also do more work on particular areas that need to be examined a bit more.”
“We have to embrace new treatments all the time for all sorts of different conditions. So, think of it in in that way – that you’re learning about a new treatment”, Dr Cannon adds.
Who is Dr Bianca Cannon?
Bianca Cannon is a lecturer in the Specialty of General Practice at the University of Sydney. She also works in private practice as a general practitioner. She has an interest in women’s health, mental health, and preventative health, including sleep medicine. She currently teaches into the Sydney Medical School MD program in the general practice term.
Check out some of the resources we discussed in this episode:
THIS WAY UP: https://thiswayup.org.au/
Bedtime Window: https://www.bedtimewindow.com/
Listen to the full conversation below. You can also access Digital Mental Health Musings on Soundcloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, and Deezer.
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