Provinical Health Authority

Published purpose

This project integrates existing digital interventions – video learning modules, a mobile app (DiiG) and a wearable (Oura Ring) – to reduce the health gap and improve quality of mental health care in Inuit/Innu communities in Labrador. Starting with common mental health presentations as prototype examples (e.g., depression, anxiety, insomnia) and in partnership with Indigenous community collaborators/partners, we will co-design learning modules to improve mental health diagnosis and management skills of nurse practitioners (NPs) and general practitioners (GPs) and to provide psychoeducational content to patients with psychiatric disorders in Labrador Inuit/Innu communities, as well as use DiiG and Oura Ring for remote patient mental health monitoring. This pilot project will examine feasibility of digital interventions and the following: A) early detection of mental illness; B) remote health monitoring; C) just-in-time medical skills training; D) a clinical decision support system; E) point-of-care diagnostics with implementation in Inuit/Innu communities and minimize reliance on specialists.