ANU builds 2.0 'crowdsourcing' into health portal

James Riley
Tuesday, 06 October 2009 12:12

IT Policy - Government Tech Policy

A mental health portal launched by the Australian National University that uses Web 2.0-style tools to "crowdsource" opinions about online treatment options aims to encourage young people to seek better health information and better outcomes.

ANU Centre for Mental Health Research’s Beacon portal provides peer review data and reviews of 100 online applications – both from Australia and overseas – and includes ratings from the centre’s research staff on the effectiveness of the online tools.

The online applications rated through Beacon include software that addresses issues ranging from insomnia and jetlag to anxiety, depression and post traumatic stress disorder.

The centre's Professor Helen Christensen said online eHealth programs had been proven to be clinically effective, particularly in delivering cognitive behavioural therapy eLearning tools. But the landscape changed so quickly new applications were often not well known to the public.

Beacon provides two distinct ratings: First, each site or application is rated by health professionals based on their clinical effectiveness. And secondly, users are able to rate the applications themselves, based on their personal experience in using them.

"Beacon searches the scientific evidence for studies which support the effectiveness of these applications. It categorises them, and it rates the sites in terms of the scientific evidence in support of them," Prof Christensen said.

"But people can put there own input into the site, so the consumer are able to get useful, crowd sourced feedback – to learn from other users about what is useful about these programs," she said.

Launching the service at Parliament House today, ACT senator Kate Lundy said there was strong domestic and international evidence supporting internet-based clinical treatment as both cost-effective and beneficial.

"And with regard to young people accessing support, there is growing evidence that they are more likely to do this is the comfort of an environment they are familiar with," Senator Lundy told iTWire.

As the recently-formed Gov2.0 Taskforce investigated social media in Government, Senator Lundy said the ANU initiative would act as a sign-post.

"The Gov2.0 Taskforce is looking at ways that departments and agencies might use Web 2.0-style tools for this kind of interactivity (and) I think this is an example of the ANU showing how it can be utilised," she said.

"So this is good example of how (Web 2.0) can be done with credibility and good process and stands as a good example for Government to look at as part of its Gov2.0 investigation."