FAQs
Q: What is a Mind Screen? A: The Mind Screen is a secure, online psychiatric DSM-IV-TR structured and compliant screening and outcome application for all Primary Care Physicians, as well as specialists in Psychiatry, Family Medicine and Internal Medicine. The computer-based interactive method is straight-forward and easy to use. It generates DSM-IV suggested definitions, automated care plans and longitudinal record-keeping for doctors seeking to accelerate the assessment, diagnosis and treatment process. It is a new technology for real-time doctor-patient interaction and follow up that leads to improved mental health outcomes and enables doctors to increase the efficiency of the practice work flow and earn additional revenue. Q: How accurate is the Mind Screen? A: The Mind Screen is a patient-driven questionnaire, which is as accurate as the patient responses to the questions themselves. The Mind Screen Experience demonstrates that it is actually more complete and accurate than most single – interview sessions with the patient because of the one-on-one times afforded to the patient, and the way the interaction becomes convincing to the patient. This phenomenon is well-known by educators and care-givers in the Social and Psychological Science, and even Internet-generated Q&A systems. The report primarily provides the doctor with an assessment of the patient’s overall mental health by generating DSM-IV suggested definitions based on the way the patient has responded to an adaptive questioning algorithm. The Mind Screen is intended for use by patients who are genuinely seeking to get better and are therefore providing truthful answers. Armed with the Assessment the doctor is then responsible for further patient investigation prior to arriving at a final diagnosis. Q: Can the Mind Screen ever be wrong? A: As The Mind Screen is a patient-driven questionnaire, it is as accurate as the patient’s response to the questions. If a patient accidentally answers a question incorrectly, then the assessment may vary from an assessment resulting from a different answer to that question. The follow-up consultation with the patient is the opportunity for the doctor and patient to review the Assessment Report together and discuss next steps if necessary. Thus, in actual practice as described, the tool can not be “wrong” even in principle; to the extent the patient tells the truth about values and feelings, as is the case with all medical diagnostic interview situations now. Q: What is the DSM-IV / DSM-IV-TR? A: DSM-IV is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. DSM is the standard taxonomy of mental health disorders and the criteria for diagnosing them according to the American Psychiatric Association. The DSM is used worldwide by clinicians and researchers as well as insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies and policy makers. There have been five revisions of the DSM since it was first published in 1952. The last major revision was the DSM-IV published in 1994, although a ‘text’ revision was produced in 2000. The DSM-V is currently in consultation, planning and preparation and is due for publication around 2012. The mental disorders section of the Current International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-11) is another commonly used guide, and the two classifications use the same diagnostic codes. This is important because it harmonizes the Mind Screen with virtually 100% of medical practices in the world. The Mind Screen is, by design and use, already formatted with the algorithm to segment signs and symptoms of mental health disorders into the categories of the DSM-IV-TR and the ICD-11.
Q: How does the Mind Screen work? A: Once a doctor has identified a patient they consider would benefit from a Mind Screen session, they refer that patient to reception to create a Mind Screen session. Once registered the patient completes a series of yes/no or rating questions online by clicking a mouse, or using a stylus or finger on a touch screen Motion C5 or Dell XT computer. The questions are asked one at a time and the next question asked is dependent on the previous answer given. The adaptive or ‘intelligent’ questionnaire therefore only asks questions relevant to the patient. For example, if the patient is a man or a menopausal woman, it will not ask questions about post-natal depression. Also, when a patient answers several questions relating to a particular disorder indicating that disorder is not a concern for them, the Mind Screen will make this determination and move on to the questions relating to the next disorder, until it has completed all of the DSM-IV Multi-axial definitions. Q: How is the Mind Screen better than existing psychometric/psychiatric evaluation tests? A: The Mind Screen is not a psychometric test. A psychometric test is not a clinical evaluation for mental health purposes, but rather a tool often used by recruitment firms and the like to assess a person’s suitability to a particular job profile. Nor, is it a computer-generated “Personality Profile.” The Mind Screen is a Psychiatric DSM-IV Screening and Outcome Application. Compared with cumbersome paper-based psychiatric outcome tools the Mind Screen has significant advantages. Primarily, none of the paper-based outcome tools covers every one of the five DSM-IV multi-axial definitions meaning they are only able to provide an assessment of one or two disorders in isolation. The Mind Screen is unique in its ability to assess multiple disorders simultaneously which is extremely important in arriving at accurate assessments. The fact the Mind Screen is in an electronic form also enables it to append significant other functionality such as ongoing patient management and tracking of progress, care planning, recording of patient history, family history and medication history as well as providing an electronic record to ensure the doctor has accurate case notes and sufficient evidence of clinical competency in the event of any future legal audit. Q: I am a psychiatrist. Are you asking my patient to trust your computer program rather than my expert diagnosis? A: The Mind Screen is not a diagnostic tool and is not intended to replace the practitioner whether they are a Primary Care Physician, or specialist in Psychiatry, Family Medicine, or Internal Medicine. The Mind Screen is, rather, an aid for a practitioner to collect information from a patient far more quickly than they could in multiple face to face consultations. Some psychiatrists use the Mind Screen as a means of getting a quick ‘big picture’ overview from the patients’ own perspective of their own mental health. Others find the Mind Screen is the most complete and elegant way to determine if a referral to a Psychiatrist may or may not be warranted. This is often accomplished during the first practice-visit by a new patient. Other practitioners have their patients use the Mind Screen regularly to utilize the full benefit of the Continuous Monitoring and the Care Planning functions. The responsibility of the final diagnosis always rests with the referring doctor. Q: Who founded and developed the Mind Screen? A: With over 30 years as a general practitioner in Australia, Dr John Clarkson founded and developed Global Mind Screen five years ago to assist primary care practitioners, who did not necessarily have extensive or up-to-date mental health expertise. Dr Clarkson also sought to assist doctors with the real-time collection of patient-driven data and with their diagnosis and treatment. The Mind Screen has since been developed over the last five years by a group of General Practitioners, Clinical Psychologists and Psychiatrists with ongoing feedback from the primary care and specialist mental health professions in both Australia and the US. The Harvard School of Medicine and the Wayne State School of Medicine are further researching the replacement of 1st Generation screening tools with the 3rd Generation Mind Screen and are seeking quantification of the greater cost-effectiveness for patients and improved patient-physician relationships that result from the use of the Mind Screen. Q: I’d like to see the Mind Screen questionnaire for myself, and get a sample report, before registering. Can you arrange for this? A: The best way to see the Mind Screen questionnaire for yourself is to register for free and complete a Mind Screen session yourself. If after completing a session or two you would like to unregister, you can do so easily, i.e., you are not obligated to use the Mind Screen. Another way of seeing more of the Mind Screen is to participate in a real-time tutorial online where a Mind Screen expert will be available to answer any questions you may have about the Mind Screen including talking you through some sample reports. Please email to support@globalmindscreen.com a time that would suit for us to call you and do a one on one tutorial to help you get started. Q: How do I contact other practitioners using the Mind Screen? A: To contact practitioners currently using Mind Screen please make this request directly on our Enquiry Form in the Contact Us section of our Global Mind Screen website and we will make the introduction. Q: Are you sure the Mind Screen is secure? A: Yes, the Mind Screen application and the back-end secure area to the Mind Screen websites are fully secure and protected by the GeoTrust True BusinessID SSL certificate that combines both a 256-bit encryption and identity verification in a single bundle. This combination provides a new level of online security for both you and your patients. Q: How do I register to become an Accredited Mind ScreenerTM? A: Registering is easy. All you need to do is click on the “Register Here” button on the website and follow the instructions. Simply provide information about your practice, a contact person, and practitioner details. When this is done, you will receive an email from Global Mind Screen confirming your medical center’s registration has been received. Each doctor registered will also receive a separate email letting them know they have been registered and that their credentials are being verified in order to fully accredit them. As soon as they are accredited each doctor will receive a second email with a secure Username and Initial Password so they can begin using the Mind Screen. Q: Do doctors need certified training in mental health to quality for accreditation? A: There is no requirement for doctors to have additional mental health certified training over and above the mental health training completed to gain your practicing credentials in your country. Q: What are your criteria for accrediting doctors? A: The only requirement for accreditation as a Mind Screen Practitioner is provision of your practicing credentials in your country, state, or territory. For example, in the US doctors must provide their Provider/Registration number in their state. Q: I am a doctor outside of Australia or the US. Can I still use the Mind Screen? A: Yes, you can, but first we will need to accredit you which will require us to confirm your credentials in your country. Please click on the Register Now button on the website, complete the registration process and we will be in touch with you directly if you are from a country not yet covered by Global Mind Screen Group. Q: I am not an MD or DO. Can I refer a patient to complete a Mind Screen session? A: Yes, if you are part of a medical health-care provider team that does mental health or psychiatric screening under the direction of a licensed MD or DO, or whose practice refers to the same. Q: How much does the Mind Screen cost my patients? A: What you decide to charge your patients is entirely up to you, your billings/practice manager or your group practice policy. Global Mind Screen Group does not get involved with your billing policy. Some doctors using the Mind Screen charge their patients US$110, others charge less, while others have a tiered billing structure for different patients depending on factors such as their health insurance status, whether they hold pensioner or other acceptable concession cards, etc. Again, how much you decide to charge your patients is entirely up to you. For more information on How to Discuss Mind Screen Pricing with Your Patients, click on the How To link in the Practitioner secure area of your country’s website. Q: Is there a fee to become an Accredited Mind ScreenerTM? A: No. Q: Are there any other fees? A: No, but Global Mind Screen (USA) Inc. reserves the right to charge a monthly Practice Administration Fee in the future. We do not envisage doing this in 2008. Q: Is there a Medicare or other government rebate for patients? A: This depends upon your country of registration. In Australia, mental health screening applications are currently not covered by Medicare legislation, but there is a precedent for screening per se to be covered. Global Mind Screen Group is currently working diligently to have the Mind Screen covered in the future for patients. In the US the Mind Screen is covered by Medicare, Medicaid and various Third Party Private Insurer billing item numbers. Please consult your Billing Manager for details regarding the item number relevant to electronic screening. If your Billing Manager is uncertain, please contact Medicare, Medicaid or the relevant private health insurer directly. Q: Which private health insurance schemes, if any, will give me a rebate? A: Please consult your patient’s private health insurer directly to discuss private insurance coverage. In the US, most private health insurance schemes will give you, the doctor, a rebate for screening your patient and for the follow-up consultation, care planning and for conducting subsequent Mind Screen sessions. In time we will provide a list of those schemes that do and they will be invited to register their details, and their billing codes, on our website for your convenience. Until then, please consult your patient’s private health insurer directly. Q: Can I use the Mind Screen without an Internet connection? A: No, unfortunately the Mind Screen application is an Internet-based application and as such you need a computer with an internet connection to use the system. The Mind Screen application can be run over a wireless connection. Q: Can I use my wireless connection? A: The Mind Screen application can be run over a wireless connection. Q: Can I use a public or unsecured wireless connection to run the Mind Screen and will that expose my patient’s details? A: The Mind Screen application is protected by the GeoTrust SSL Certificate and this ensures that your data is secure and protected at all times. This means that even if you are using an unsecured wireless connection, your data will still be encrypted by the SSL Certificate, so yes you can use an unsecured wireless connection and your patient data is ALWAYS secure when using the Mind Screen application. Q: What should I do if the Mind Screen does not come up in the browser or I get a “Page Not Found” error? A:
Q: How long does it take for my patient to complete a Mind Screen session? A: Most patients complete a Mind Screen session in about 15-25 minutes. Some may be a little faster and some patients who are very particular may take longer. There is no minimum or maximum time limit within which a patient must complete a Mind Screen session. The Assessment Report records the session length so if your patient took 45 minutes or longer to complete their session you may wish to discuss that with them. Q: What if my patient cannot complete their Mind Screen session at one sitting? A: If a Mind Screen session is interrupted, perhaps a child needs to be collected from school, or there is some other emergency, the Mind Screen remembers the last question answered and the patient can resume their session at another time from exactly where they left off.
Q: Do my patients get to see the Assessment Report? * This claim is based on anecdotal evidence but will be quantified in an upcoming collaborative Harvard/Wayne State Schools of Medicine study. Q: Why should I switch to the Mind Screen when I already have useful mental health assessment methods? A: If you are completely satisfied with your current mental health assessment methods, then continue with your current practice. However, first confirm your current mental health assessment method offers the following benefits and features:
* This claim is based on anecdotal evidence but will be quantified in an upcoming collaborative Harvard/Wayne State Schools of Medicine study. If your current mental health assessment method does not offer all of the above then the Mind Screen is deserving of your careful consideration. Q: Why do I need the Mind Screen when I already have a mental health nurse who does our Care Planning? A: The Mind Screen is not designed to replace professional mental health staff whether they are practitioners, mental health nurses, or other mental health professionals. The Mind Screen is a screening and outcome application that helps all of these professionals collect patient driven information quickly and accurately and in a format that can be easily used by that professional and/or their staff. Most importantly, the Mind Screen frees up the professional’s valuable time so they and/or their qualified staff can spend quality time with the patient on Care Planning and monitoring progress with the aid of the Continuous Monitoring Function. Q: Can someone with no computer skills complete a Mind Screen session? A: Yes. The Mind Screen only requires that the patient is able to read the language in which the Mind Screen is delivered in their country. Questions are answered either by touching the screens of the latest generation Dell Latitude XT or Motion Computing C5 computers with your finger or a stylus pen or by clicking a mouse on older computers. In circumstances where the patient is unable to read the questions they can be assisted by having the questions read aloud to them. Q: How do we ensure patients don’t get access to our medical center computer system when they do the Mind Screen? A: This is simple. If you do not wish your patients to get access to your center's computer system for privacy reasons, then we recommend you use a stand-alone computer with Internet access. The latest generation Dell Latitude XT or Motion Computing C5 mobile computers will enable you to do this with the added flexibility of enabling your patients to complete the Mind Screen session in any available room or area in your practice. Q: What if we don’t have the space available in our practice to have a private room for patients to do the Mind Screen? A: Global Mind Screen Group’s preferred practice is to provide patients with privacy when completing the Mind Screen. However, we also recognize that not all medical centers have an available private room for patients to complete a Mind Screen session. In such cases, we consider it better that they complete a Mind Screen session in the corner of a waiting room or at a booth in a hallway, than to not have the opportunity to complete a Mind Screen at all. The latest generation Dell Latitude XT or Motion Computing C5 mobile computers provide increased flexibility to those centers lacking in private space for their patients. The mobile nature of these computers enables you to send your patient to complete their Mind Screen session in any available room or area in your practice including the waiting room. Q: Can we still use the Mind Screen if our medical center has paper-based patient records and is not yet computerized? A: Yes, unless you have no computers at all. The Mind Screen is an Internet enabled application which means you require at least one computer with an internet connection. If you have this, then you can begin using the Mind Screen. The Assessment Report can be printed and inserted in paper-based patient records or it can be saved electronically and imported into most patient management computer systems. Q: Does every doctor in the practice need to have their own email address? And what if that is not currently the case? A: Yes, every doctor requires their own email address because it is their email address that is used as their unique identifier and provides the first (of many) levels of security in our back end system. It is also the means by which your medical center’s business manager determines how much revenue each doctor in the center gets from the center’s Mind Screen earnings. If a doctor does not have an e-mail address, or does not want to use their personal e-mail address then the medical center’s Internet Service Provider will usually be able to arrange free e-mail accounts to all doctors in the medical center. If that is not the case, then there are a number of companies that do provide free e-mail accounts that are quick and easy to set up. These include yahoo, hotmail and gmail, to name just a few. Q: Does the report get emailed to the referring doctor? A: The Assessment Report is not emailed to the doctor. The referring doctor accesses all of his or her results using their unique Username and Password. When the report is retrieved it can be forwarded by email by the doctor to an administrator or mental health specialist if necessary. Future versions of the Mind Screen will be integrated with selected patient management software applications. Q: Can we have the report imported directly into our practice patient management system? A: Not at this stage, but the Assessment Report can be saved as a PDF and indirectly imported into patient management software systems that allow 3rd party records to be attached to a patient’s medical record. Future versions of the Mind Screen will be fully integrated with selected leading patient management software applications. Q: Can patients complete the Mind Screen at home? A: No. The Mind Screen is intended to be completed in a professional medical environment. Pilot versions of the Mind Screen completed by patients at home were often interrupted and not undertaken in an environment conducive to achieving accurate results. Global Mind Screen Group therefore strongly recommends that patients complete the Mind Screen at your medical center. Q: Can the doctor see the specific answers the patient gave to each and every question? A: No. The questionnaire and the underlying algorithm and weightings that sit behind the questionnaire or the specific answers by patients to each question, are not available to the doctor. The Assessment Report is intended to be an overview of the patients overall mental health that provides DSM-IV suggested definitions for the doctor to investigate further. When a patient is identified as having a mild, moderate or severe severity rating for a disorder, then the referring practitioner should spend further time with the patient investigating the reasons that disorder has been identified. This will usually be done by spending quality doctor-patient time to arrive at a doctor-based diagnosis and agreed care plan. Q: Can I provide suggestions and input into future versions of the Mind Screen? A: Absolutely, Global Mind Screen Group seeks to continually improve its systems, processes, the Mind Screen application itself and of course its customer service. Both the Practitioners and Administrator secure sections of the Global Mind Screen website have Feedback buttons where you can provide feedback and input to help us meet your needs. Your feedback is welcomed and whenever we can make improvements with immediate effect we will do so. Otherwise, we will seek to include feedback into future versions of the Mind Screen. Q: When can I get started? A: As soon as you are an Accredited Mind Screen Practitioner you can begin using the Mind Screen. Your first 5 sessions will not be charged to your center to allow you to become familiar with the patient registration and session creation processes. Q: How can I get started? A: To get started simply enter your Username and Password into the Secure Login box on the Home Page. Doing so will direct you to a secure Practitioner or Administrator website accessible only to Accredited Mind ScreenersTM or Accredited Administrators respectively. From there you can begin doing whatever it is you have logged in for, i.e., to create a session, retrieve a report, look at billing and invoicing, etc. It really is that simple. |