A4i (The App4Independence) and The Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre Awarded Funding from OBIO’s Early Adopter Health Network to Evaluate a Digital App-based Platform for Severe Mental Illness

October 19, 2023 (Toronto, ON) – Treating schizophrenia spectrum disorders effectively is challenging due to the complexity of the illness. Treatment often requires lifelong self-management and various therapies that must be used in timely cycles to achieve the best outcomes. Additionally, constraints across the healthcare system limit many aspects of clinical interaction, including risk identification and care planning, which can lead patients to feel disempowered, socially isolated and disengaged from the treatment process.

To address barriers to treating severe mental illnesses and improve patient experience, A4i Inc. (A4i – App4Independence) has partnered with The Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre to drive the adoption and integration of their app-based platform. The A4i app helps patients experiencing severe mental illness improve their health by building connections with other peers and using app features designed to identify risk of relapse and readmission. Commercially and clinically validated, A4i’s tools and digital biomarkers have shown excellent engagement, increased retention rates and other promising clinical outcomes.

With support from OBIO’s Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN™), The Royal is evaluating A4i in the Ozerdinc Grimes Family Regional Psychosis Clinic, which provides specialized care and support for individuals who experience psychosis due to a schizophrenia spectrum disorder. The evaluation’s goal is to assess how A4i integrates into an outpatient clinical setting and to help clinicians understand the app’s impact on patients who have been diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum.

“We are grateful to be working with The Royal in Ottawa to support a particularly vulnerable population in such a resource intensive environment,” said Amos Adler, CEO of A4i Inc. “Validated technologies such as A4i can support the health system’s efforts to better engage and support client populations in the recovery process. We are learning and adapting to truly integrate innovation into clinical workflows.”

“With the right support, people with schizophrenia spectrum illnesses can manage their symptoms and live well. Through this collaboration enabled by OBIO®, we have the potential to expand and strengthen the supports available to our clients using A4i. We are demonstrating how a digital therapeutic mobile app and clinical portal can scale virtual care, care-coordination and create system efficiencies,” said Dr. David Attwood, Clinical Director of the Integrated Schizophrenia Recovery Program at The Royal.

“OBIO® is excited to support this first project with the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre, which is bringing digital therapeutic innovations to the forefront of the mental health space,” said Dr. Maura Campbell, President and CEO of OBIO®. “We are eager to see how the A4i solution can improve care for patients living with schizophrenia and enhance their wellbeing.”

A4i addresses the gaps in the current system of care for individuals with severe mental illness and, more specifically for this project evaluation, schizophrenia spectrum illnesses. The A4i app supports recovery, care coordination and community functioning while using machine learning to identify risks of relapse for patients with complex mental health issues.

About OBIO®

OBIO®, a not-for-profit, membership-based organization dedicated to advancing health technology innovation and commercialization, is prioritizing the evaluation of new technologies through their Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN™). OBIO® is engaged in strategy, programming, policy development and advocacy to further the commercialization of human health technologies, positioning Canada as a leader in the international marketplace.

About A4i

A Joint Venture between Canada’s largest mental health teaching hospital the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and MEMOTEXT digital therapeutics platform, A4i has secured early pilots across North America and has deep expertise in mental and digital health.

About The Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre

The Royal is one of Canada’s foremost mental health care, teaching, and research hospitals and is home to The Royal Mental Health Centre, the Brockville Mental Health Centre, the University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health, and the Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health. Hope, access, and new possibilities are at the centre of everything we do. Through partnerships with clients, families, colleagues and community partners, our mission is to transform the lives of people living with complex and treatment-resistant mental health and substance use needs – today, and tomorrow. Click here to learn more about The Royal, our suite of services, and our impact.

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Media contacts:

Bibaswan Ghoshal, Senior Director, Technology Adoption, OBIO®

Amos Adler, M.Sc, CEO, A4i Inc.

Michaela Berniquez, Communications Coordinator, The Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre