Closing the Gap on Pediatric Mental Health: The Trend of Digital Health Startups

Learning Objectives:

1. To explore the current landscape of digital health start ups and what they can offer;
2. To review the risks and benefits of being a part of a venture-based start up as a child psychiatrist;
3. List several "lessons learned" about clinical operations at a digital health start up.

Abstract

When The American Academy of Pediatrics, The Children's Hospital Association, and The American
Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry jointly declared a national emergency in pediatric mental
health services in October of 2021, there was already a mounting problem of increasing rates of pediatric
anxiety and depression, suicide, and a lack of services for youth within the United States. Digital health
startups began to move onto the landscape prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, however,
the pandemic provided a unique opportunity to place digital delivery of mental health services at the
forefront. Taking new and innovative approaches, as well as scaling rapidly, digital health startups seek to
help bridge the gap in pediatric mental health by delivering care to a large number of pediatric patients. This
talk will explore the types of digital start ups currently on the market, the approach that can be taken within
such platforms, as well as a review of the risks and benefits of being a part of a venture-based start up
healthcare company, from the point-of-view of a practicing child psychiatrist.

Literature References

Not applicable