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Review
. 2023 Oct 2;23(1):706.
doi: 10.1186/s12888-023-05201-0.

Mental Health Information Reporting Assistant (MHIRA)-an open-source software facilitating evidence-based assessment for clinical services

Ronan Zimmermann  1   2 , Jon Konjufca  3   4 , Peter Sakejo  5 , Mrema Kilonzo  3   5 , Yamil Quevedo  6 , Kathrin Blum  7 , Edison Biba  8 , Tumaini Mosha  9 , Marianne Cottin  6   10 , Cristóbal Hernández  6   11 , Sylvia Kaaya  5 , Aliriza Arenliu  4 , Alex Behn  6   12
Affiliations
Review

Mental Health Information Reporting Assistant (MHIRA)-an open-source software facilitating evidence-based assessment for clinical services

Ronan Zimmermann et al. BMC Psychiatry. .

Abstract

Evidence-based assessment (EBA) in mental health is a critical aspect of improving patient outcomes and addressing the gaps in mental health care. EBA involves the use of psychometric instruments to gather data that can inform clinical decision-making, inform policymakers, and serve as a basis for research and quality management. Despite its potential, EBA is often hindered by barriers such as workload and cost, leading to its underutilization. Regarding low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), the implementation of EBA is recognized as a key strategy to address and close the prevalent mental health treatment gap.To simplify the application of EBA including in LMIC, an international team of researchers and practitioners from Tanzania, Kosovo, Chile, and Switzerland developed the Mental Health Information Reporting Assistant (MHIRA). MHIRA is an open-source electronic health record that streamlines EBA by digitising psychometric instruments and organising patient data in a user-friendly manner. It provides immediate and convenient reports to inform clinical decision-making.The current article provides a comprehensive overview of the features and technical details of MHIRA, as well as insights from four implementation scenarios. The experience gained during the implementations as well as the user-feedback suggests that MHIRA has the potential to be successfully implemented in a variety of clinical contexts and simplify the use of EBA. However, further research is necessary to establish its potential to sustainably transform healthcare services and impact patient outcomes.In conclusion, MHIRA represents an important step in promoting the widespread adoption of EBA in mental health. It offers a promising solution to the barriers that have limited the use of EBA in the past and holds the potential to improve patient outcomes and support the ongoing efforts to address gaps in mental health care.

Keywords: Digital; Electronic health record; Evidence-based assessment; Implementation sciences; Low- and middle-income countries; Mental health; Open-source; Software.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors Ronan Zimmermann, Jon Konjufca, Peter Sakejo, Mrema Kilonzo, Yamil Quevedo, Kathrin Blum, Edison Biba, Tumaini Mosha, Marianne Cottin, Cristóbal Hernández, Sylvia Kaaya, Alex Behn, Aliriza Arenliu, Alex Behn have contributed to co-designing or developing the software presented in the article. The software is available under Mozilla Public License 2.0. According to this license, the software can be used for financial purposes. The author might potentially offer the software as a service in the future.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Core workflow
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Integration of reporting apps with MHIRA
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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