A case study published October 14 examined Discovery Health's use of SilverCloud by Amwell to deliver a fully funded digital mental health benefit in South Africa. In its first 12 months, 22,000 members activated the benefit.
Among members who began with moderate to severe depression or anxiety, the study reported clinically significant improvement rates between 60 and 78 per cent, depending on severity at the start, and 90 per cent of surveyed users said they were satisfied.
The economic figure will interest health plans everywhere: adjusted mental-health-related in-hospital costs were 6 per cent lower in the year after use. The benefit was built into the existing mental healthcare pathway, with referral by a GP or psychologist and structured internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy delivered through an app.
The model does not replace in-person care. Its argument is narrower — that embedding a digital option inside a normal benefit gets people into treatment earlier, when it is cheaper and more effective.
