You can see the chatbot now: NHS patients get mental health treatment referrals from AI chatbot

NHS patients are now being given referrals for mental health treatment by an AI chatbot – but those behind the technology insist they are ‘streamlining’ services and ‘not trying to replace’ therapists.

Limbic, an AI-powered clinical assessment chatbot, has referred more than 150,000 people to the treatment they need in England, according to the NHS.

Those behind the technology claim it can predict eight mental disorders with 93 percent accuracy.

Limbic says the AI ​​chatbot currently works with 30 percent of NHS ‘Talking Therapy’ services in England – which are used by people with anxiety and depression.

Josh Cable-May, cognitive behavioral therapy specialist at Limbic, insists they are not trying to replace human therapists; the goal is to improve efficiency.

In 2021, the government announced a £36 million boost for AI technologies to revolutionize NHS care – and Limbic was the first mental health chatbot to achieve UKCA (UK Conformity Assessed) certification for medical devices.

But in May, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence accelerated approval for nine mental health apps to be offered within the NHS to people struggling with anxiety and depression.

Some are already in circulation, such as Limbic, but six of the apps/programs are only recommended for use with the help of a high-intensity therapist.

They are intended for use by people with disorders such as body dysmorphic disorder, generalized anxiety, PTSD, and social anxiety disorder.

The chatbot asks users questions that are typically asked during a telephone conversation before redirecting them. Many people with anxiety or related disorders find phone calls intimidating and the AI ​​hopes to break this barrier.

Once the user has answered all questions, all data is converted into a referral record to support a doctor in providing the appropriate clinical assessment.

But some doctors are concerned about what the use of chatbots in the NHS will mean for them.

On . .

‘Robots/AI/Groundbreaking research means nothing without GPs, safe emergency rooms, beds and staff.’

Another user said: ‘I worked in the NHS. They can’t even get their current IT systems to work, connect and manage assets.

‘Different systems within trusts and multiple disconnected systems within each trust. Wages are poor and they lack skills and innovation. With AI they have no chance.”

However, those behind the technology say they’re just trying to free up doctors’ time and help people take the first step toward therapy.

Limbic’s website states: ‘Replacement is not the solution, making therapists’ lives easier is.’

Mr Cable-May told the British Association for Counseling and Psychotherapy: ‘We are lowering the barrier to access services, which has also improved access for disadvantaged populations.

‘About 40 percent of our referrals occur outside normal business hours, demonstrating the usefulness of a 24/7 tool. It is a very effective digital front door.

‘We are not trying to replace therapists.

“We still need a human in the mix and that’s why we’re still embedded in a healthcare ecosystem. Anyone referred to the NHS Talking Therapies using Limbic Access will receive a human assessment and progress with a human therapist.

‘But reducing the administrative burden gives (practitioners) the space to do the actual therapy, which can help reduce waiting lists.’

An audit of the technology Limbic uses found that there were 45 percent fewer changes in treatment for patients using this technology, due to its greater accuracy.

The study also found that patients were assessed twelve minutes faster, reducing treatment dropouts by 18 percent and waiting times by five percent.

Limbic says its chatbot has saved more than 30,000 NHS services in England since its launch, at a time when practitioners are massively overworked.

a study of this AI self-referral tool in the NHS found that Limbic is especially effective for minority groups, although it is currently in pre-print stages and awaiting full peer review.

The research, conducted by people who work at Limbic, found a 235 percent increase in the number of non-binary people referred, a 30 percent increase among bisexual people and a 31 percent increase among people from ethnic minorities.

Dr. Ross Harper, co-founder and CEO of Limbic said in a press release: ‘This is a milestone for the mental health industry as it provides strong evidence that our psychological assessment software – the first in the world to achieve this level of certification – is a safe and clinically effective way to improve the therapy process within mental health care at a time when such support has never been more needed.

‘Limbic Access reduces the workload for IAPT services by gathering information through a friendly, supportive chatbot conversation and using its machine learning capabilities to deliver effective triage.

‘The result is that doctors are better informed before appointments and can spend more time with the patient; services need to complete less administration and patients enjoy shorter wait times and faster recovery. It’s win-win-win.

Earlier this year, mental health charity Mind revealed the loss of public confidence in mental health care. A YouGov poll found that more than 1 in 3 British adults (35 percent) said they were not confident a loved one would be safe if they needed mental health care in hospital.

This is part of an ongoing mental health ‘crisis’ in Britain.

The NHS Confederation says the neglect of mental health care means some patients are waiting up to 80 hours in A&E.

Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said in a press release: ‘The current focus on elective recovery, industrial action and access to GPs has meant that mental health has fallen below government priorities and patients and services are forgotten.

‘This is a national emergency that is now having serious consequences across the board, not least for patients in crisis.

‘We know there is increasing demand for mental health support, but because supply in the community is limited, this demand is washing up on the shores of wider NHS services and is having a knock-on effect on the care of others patients, waiting times and problems. recovery efforts.”

AI chatbots aren’t the only technology the NHS is using to ease the burden on overworked staff.

Earlier this year, a self-driving ‘helper bot’ called Milton was used to transport medicines around the building in a trial at Milton Keynes University Hospital.