Authors: Helen Lowy
Year: 2019
Event: 2019 TheMHS Conference
Subject: Connecting with Communities: Use of Personal Electronic Devices (PEDs) in Inpatient Mental Health Services.
Type of resource: Conference Presentations and Papers
Abstract:
Biography:
Helen is a pharmacist, counsellor, project manager and change manager. She has enjoyed a varied career as a health professional, practicing in both the UK and Australia, specialising in child health, mental health, medicines optimisation and workplace wellbeing.
Helen works part-time in the Mental Health Branch, Victorian Department of Health and Human Services and part-time in private practice as a speaker, workshop facilitator and coach.
Helen is passionate about bring together diverse stakeholder groups to identify contemporary healthcare challenges and creating innovation in the fields of trauma informed practice, resilience and workplace wellbeing.
Despite widespread diffusion of electronic communication devices in society and strong legislative protection for consumers rights to both communication and privacy, a considerable number of inpatient mental health services apply a universal ban on consumers using personal electronic devices (PEDs).
This presentation outlines rights to privacy and communication in inpatient mental health services, from legislative and best practice perspectives. It will also explore the difference between consumer and staff perspectives on the risks and benefits of the use of PEDs in inpatient mental health services.
The presentation will provide guidance on the principles, frameworks and approaches to developing policies to support safe and appropriate use of PEDs in inpatient mental health services.
Approaches outlined incorporate co-production and interprofessional collaboration and align with patient-centred, recovery focused, trauma informed, family inclusive and human rights frameworks. Their implementation integrates the right to supported decision making.
This presentation will inform consumers of rights to communication and privacy and will provide guidance to mental health professionals for developing local policy on the use of PEDs in inpatient mental health services.
Learning Objectives
Learning Objective 1: Benefits, risks and rights of using PEDs in mental health services (consumer and staff perspectives).
Learning Objective 2: Principles and frameworks to be considered when developing guidelines for use of PEDs in inpatient mental health services to support recovery.
References
1. Dudgeon, P., Milroy, H., Walker, R., & Calma, T., Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Australia, Department of Health and Ageing, Australia, Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, Kulunga Research Network & University of Western Australia. (2014). Working together: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health and wellbeing principles and practice. [West Perth, Western Australia]: Kulunga Research Network
2. O’Connor, N., Zantos, K., & Sepulveda-Flores, V. (2018). Use of personal electronic devices by psychiatric inpatients: benefits, risks and attitudes of patients and staff. Australasian Psychiatry, 26(3), 263-266.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1039856218758564
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