Tribal software powering ground-breaking database to improve mental health provision to young people

FERN is a self-funding, not for profit organisation, run from the Universities of Birmingham and Sheffield. It has been set up to collect data and undertake research to improve the care of young patients with mental health problems. In particular the project aims to improve earlier treatment rates and reduce the ‘Duration of Untreated Psychosis’ in the critical 12-18 months after the first incidence. Clinical psychologist and author, Oliver James, comments that "new research on schizophrenia suggests that the drugs won’t always work!" [1]. He adds, "Above all, as advisers to government, it [the psychiatric establishment] will have to recommend much better systems for early detection of traumatised individuals and the funds to provide the kind of support for parents that could prevent much, if not most, schizophrenia".

Tribal Technology’s software solution will provide the data management backbone for the new three-year research project. The project aims to address the difficulties GPs encounter in trying to identify the early signs; early diagnosis and treatment can prevent serious damage to the patient’s health and reduce the probability of longer-term disabilities developing. It aims to provide young people with psychosis gold-standard psychological treatments to complement, as well as reduce, the need for long-term dependency on regulatory drugs to control their condition.

Tribal Technology’s database solution will specifically meet FERN's requirements to collate information from a wide range of influential factors, including families and carers, illicit substance use and suicide risk. The database will record the pathways and treatments used in the detection of psychosis to build up a database covering geographic and mental health areas in the UK. Examples of the information to be collected include: referral dates, where help was sought by the client, when treatment was actually received, and the effect of treatment upon the patient’s health.

Dr Zaffer Iqbal, national director of FERN, explains why they entrusted Tribal with this project, "FERN required a database that was comprehensive enough to manage a large quantity and a wide variety of data and that was interactive enough to enable doctors and clinicians to extract information to compare their own performance with others. Tribal was the only organisation that showed the in-depth understanding of our complex requirements and that demonstrated the confidence to do what FERN needed. Tribal's relevant experience was very impressive and the FERN team were given a straight answer to their questions, every time."

With the Tribal solution in place, FERN members will be able to input data electronically, via an online web portal, using individual log-ins. The system will also be designed to meet the strict NHS legislative controls over the use and storage of data and will conform to the data security principles laid down in the Caldicott Report[2], so enabling geographic patterns to be identified while retaining patient anonymity.

This project is timely, as treatment of mental health issues in young people hit the national news headlines in September [3] this year with the publication of new National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines steering GPs away from prescribing anti-depressant drugs as a first response. Sarah Boseley, writing in The Guardian on 28th September 2005 explains, "The new NHS guidance marks a watershed in the treatment of children's mental health. It shifts the focus sharply away from the psychiatric drugs that around 40,000 children are thought to be taking for depression, anxiety and other problems."[4].

The project will initially be trialled in a cross-section of around 10 hospital NHS Trusts, and then rolled out in all of FERN’s 25 centres across England.

The central contact number for Tribal Technology is: 0114 281 6100.

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Notes to Editors

Tribal Technology, a member of the Tribal Group plc, aims to be the first choice for creative IT and information management solutions which improve and transform organisations. Combining technical expertise with in-depth understanding of public and private sector operations, Tribal Technology delivers software, systems, consultancy and managed services, to support the management of education and training, libraries and information services, and local government support services.

Tribal Group plc is one of the fastest growing companies supporting the public sector today. The Group's activities cover the full spectrum of strategic and operational support services including consulting, property, technology, resourcing, education, communications and delivery.

www.tribaltechnology.co.uk
www.tribalgroup.co.uk

[1] The Guardian Online, 22 October 2005
http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1598133,00.html

[2] Caldicott Report
http://www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidanceArticle/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4068403&chk=jsKw07

[3] BBC news website, 28 September 2005
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4283498.stm

[4] The Guardian Online, 28 September 2005
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1579775,00.html

For further information, please contact:
Catherine Dhanjal, TheAnswer Ltd Tel: 0208 655 0953 or 0794 166 9925
Email: catherine.dhanjal@theansweruk.com

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