The MyPsych Foundation Doctors Toolkit: your one-stop-shop for digital psychiatry support

Mental health features more prominently in the UK Foundation Programme Curriculum¹ than ever before, and the importance of parity of esteem for mental and physical heath is rightly emphasised. There has been a need therefore to develop mental health educational resources for Foundation Doctors that are accessible and reliable, to supplement local teaching programmes and clinical placements. 

What have we done?

With this in mind, our team in NHS Lothian used an action research methodology² to develop a ‘toolkit’, aligned to the Foundation Programme Curriculum, to sit within the existing MyPsych digital platform³, using cycles of development and study to investigate user experience and impact. We collected early feedback from six Foundation Doctors via an online questionnaire in May 2022. Further development of the Toolkit was then undertaken by trainee psychiatrists before it was made available to all Foundation Doctors in NHS Lothian in December 2022. We evaluated again in March and April 2023 through another online survey and an online user group. We modified the Toolkit based upon this evaluation data prior to national advertising. We also examined app data analytics to understand usage patterns and guide promotion of the Toolkit. 

What have we developed?

Through the cycles of development, the Toolkit has grown into a resource packed full of useful information about mental health presentations and management that can be accessed at any time and on the go. Throughout its design we have particularly kept those working in non-mental health settings in mind – think of the Toolkit as psychiatry for the non-psychiatrist if you will. It has information on mental health emergencies, common psychiatric conditions, links to many useful resources (e.g. legal forms and assessment tools) as well as links to regional induction information and wellbeing resources. 

What have we learnt?

We are delighted to have had over 1100 users of the MyPsych Foundation Doctors Toolkit since promotion began in December 2022. So, what have users told us? Well, they seem to like it…

And what else have we learnt? Well, we’ve discovered that an action research methodology can provide a structured approach to iteratively design and improve a digital medical resource, whilst allowing it to be available to users early in the development process. We’ve also developed a Toolkit that people find user-friendly and of educational and practical value.

What next?

The MyPsych Foundation Doctors Toolkit is freely downloadable as an app for Apple or Android and can also be accessed on the web here.

We would encourage you to have a look and to tell friends and colleagues – you don’t have to be a Foundation Doctor to use the Toolkit! We really hope that you find it useful.

Dr Jennifer Mutch and the MyPsych Development Team in NHS Lothian

References

1. UK Foundation Programme. UK Foundation Programme Curriculum 202. 1[Internet]. United Kingdom: UK Foundation Programme; 2021 [cited 2023 Feb 03] Available from: https://healtheducationengland.sharepoint.com/sites/UKFPOT/Education%20and%20Support/Forms/AllItems.aspx?id=%2Fsites%2FUKFPOT%2FEducation%20and%20Support%2FCurriculum%2FFP%202021%2FFPC2021%20Roll%2Dout%2FFP%5FCurr%5FOct22%5Fv7%2Epdf&parent=%2Fsites%2FUKFPOT%2FEducation%20and%20Support%2FCurriculum%2FFP%202021%2FFPC2021%20Roll%2Dout&p=true&ga=1
2. Clark PA. Action Research and Organizational Change. London (GB). Harper & Row. 1972.
3. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. MyPsych [Internet] [updated 2023; cited 2023 Feb 03]. Available from: https://mypsych.nhsggc.org.uk/