Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance Selects PlatformQ Health to Lead New Digital Educational Initiative to Address the Mental Health Crisis

BOSTON and CHICAGO, Aug. 22, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA), the leading peer-directed national organization for people living with mood disorders, and PlatformQ Health, a premier provider of digital education for clinicians and patients across the therapeutic spectrum, are pleased to announce a new initiative to elevate the way clinicians diagnose and treat mental illness, and empower the millions of Americans who personally face conditions like depression and bipolar to make the best choices for their lives.

"We are thrilled to expand our partnership with PlatformQ Health to create more action-oriented mental health education," shared Phyllis Foxworth, DBSA Advocacy Vice President. "Since our founding, DBSA has been committed to providing peer-based, recovery-oriented, empowering services and resources when people want them, where they want them, and how they want them. Partnering with PlatformQ Health allows us to leverage their outcomes-centered engagement platform for our education, and deliver convenient and accessible education to clinicians and people living with mental health conditions Together, we aim to impact millions of patients and families through this initiative so DBSA participants, employer groups, payers, and the general public have easy access to education that improves care."

Over 21 million people in the U.S. live with mood disorders, and these conditions are associated with significant costs. It is estimated that $23 billion are lost in workdays and other workplace losses each year – and far more seriously, suicide is the second leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 10 and 34, and the fourth leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 35 and 54. More education is needed to begin turning these tides: peers need to understand the power of peer support, clinicians need to know how best to guide patients in the path toward recovery, and families facing mood disorders need to be able to recognize the symptoms and understand related issues to more readily support loved ones in achieving wellness.

This initiative launches on the heels of successful joint educational programs in Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) that focused on fostering better communication and shared decision-making between people living with MDD and their care teams.

"We live in a data-driven world, where measuring the impact of our efforts is considered key – but somehow, even with all the recent efforts to prioritize outcomes in our healthcare system, the impact of so much health education remains unevaluated," explained Dr. Wendy Turell, Vice President of Outcomes and Analytics at PlatformQ Health, and member and past chair of the Research Committee at the Alliance for Continuing Education in the Health Professionals. "People facing depression need education that they can understand and apply. They need their doctors to be informed and ready to work together. We are proud to build on DBSA's legacy of support for people facing mood disorders by creating education that makes changes at scale. Moreover, by evaluating our educational efforts over time, we will be able to see our impact on changes in knowledge, beliefs and behavior among HCP and patient learners."

Following the initial program, PlatformQ Health supported DBSA's work with the Milken Institute and released additional education for people living with MDD earlier this year. One of the many conclusions from this impactful study found that a majority of respondents experienced both depression and bipolar symptoms, challenging clinicians' traditional practice of treating one or the other, and outlining a further need for professional education.

For information about this new initiative, or to receive impact insights from previously launched education, contact us here.

About DBSA
The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) is a leading peer-focused mental health organization whose mission is "to improve the lives of people living with mood disorders." DBSA national supports more than 500 support groups and over 200 local affiliate chapters, DBSA reaches over four million individuals with support, educational resources, and tools to help individuals living with mood disorders lead productive and fulfilling lives. Additionally, through our advocacy efforts we amplify peers' voices and work towards systemic change in the delivery of mental health care.

About PlatformQ Health
PlatformQ Health is the leading provider of interactive digital medical education for clinicians, patients and caregivers. To improve patient care, PlatformQ Health creates video-first educational modules with premier partners, so learners can better understand conditions, available treatment options, and the latest research. The company's proprietary platform allows participants to engage in real-time discussion with scientific, research and patient care experts – and the integrated learning solution enables advocates, administrators, health systems and plans, foundations, societies, member organizations and associations to measure the impact of their education.

SOURCE PlatformQ Health