IWK will replace handwritten questionnaires with iPads in waiting rooms for youth with mental health and addiction issues

The handwritten questionnaire filled out by families accessing services through the IWK Health Centre’s Mental Health and Addictions program takes time to process and the information isn’t available to clinicians until after patients have left their appointments. This is why a pilot project, launched later this month at the IWK’s outpatient community mental health and addictions clinics, will have iPads available for waiting room patients to expedite care and improve mental health outcomes. The questionnaire takes five minutes to complete on an iPad and can then be scored, graphed and made immediately available to clinicians, youth and their families at the beginning of an appointment. The pilot will also be a useful tool for clinicians looking to make evidence-based decisions.