Article type
Abstract
Background: Number of companies are increasing using apps for mental health in the workplace in Japan, to date, however, there are no standards for selecting appropriate apps for industrials and health staffs.
Objectives: In this study, we investigated the issues involved in developing guidelines regarding a wide range of health, including primary prevention, through “Guidelines for primary prevention of mental health using digital health technology in the workplace,” hereinafter referred to as MHD guidelines.
Method: The Japan Society for Occupational Health was the main body responsible for developing the MHD Guidelines, and an executive committee was established jointly with eight related organizations. The recommendation panel consists of a total of five experts: two mental health, one digital health technology, one occupational health, and one guideline development method expert, while a systematic review team were about 20 members. Each step, such as the setting of the health question, a systematic review and recommendation generation, GRADE approach was adopted in principle.
Results: An evaluation organization was set up outside the guideline developing group to incorporate opinions from a variety of stakeholders, including app development companies and policy makers, regarding the definition of digital health technology and the setting of health questions. In order to train young researchers, we conducted seven sessions of seminars on systematic reviews for guidelines development starting from February 2023. We conducted a systematic review of three health questions.
Conclusions: We applied rules for managing and disclosing the guideline developing process, including participation in voting on recommendations, by declaring economic and non-economic conflicts of interest at publishing the scope. To evaluate the outcomes of benefits and harms, we considered evaluation indicators of mental health in the workplace, including the app adherences. It would have been possible to create recommendations for prevention guidelines if there were epidemiological studies such as RCTs that could be integrated. Currently, there are no indicators for selecting apps, not just for mental health in Japan, but by referring to the MHD guidelines, it might be possible to find the elements necessary for designing future app development and indicators for comparable outcome evaluations.
Objectives: In this study, we investigated the issues involved in developing guidelines regarding a wide range of health, including primary prevention, through “Guidelines for primary prevention of mental health using digital health technology in the workplace,” hereinafter referred to as MHD guidelines.
Method: The Japan Society for Occupational Health was the main body responsible for developing the MHD Guidelines, and an executive committee was established jointly with eight related organizations. The recommendation panel consists of a total of five experts: two mental health, one digital health technology, one occupational health, and one guideline development method expert, while a systematic review team were about 20 members. Each step, such as the setting of the health question, a systematic review and recommendation generation, GRADE approach was adopted in principle.
Results: An evaluation organization was set up outside the guideline developing group to incorporate opinions from a variety of stakeholders, including app development companies and policy makers, regarding the definition of digital health technology and the setting of health questions. In order to train young researchers, we conducted seven sessions of seminars on systematic reviews for guidelines development starting from February 2023. We conducted a systematic review of three health questions.
Conclusions: We applied rules for managing and disclosing the guideline developing process, including participation in voting on recommendations, by declaring economic and non-economic conflicts of interest at publishing the scope. To evaluate the outcomes of benefits and harms, we considered evaluation indicators of mental health in the workplace, including the app adherences. It would have been possible to create recommendations for prevention guidelines if there were epidemiological studies such as RCTs that could be integrated. Currently, there are no indicators for selecting apps, not just for mental health in Japan, but by referring to the MHD guidelines, it might be possible to find the elements necessary for designing future app development and indicators for comparable outcome evaluations.