Innovative Digital Device Supports Health Care Workers’ Mental Health

March 30, 2022 (Ottawa, ON) – Health care worker burnout, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, has health care workers feeling increased levels of stress, worry and anxiety. Providing support to enhance health care worker resiliency and mental wellness is the rationale behind a partnership facilitated by OBIO^® through its Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN™), giving Bruyère the opportunity to introduce Neurovine’s mental wellness solutions, a hospital-wide mental wellness event.

The mental wellness event invited employees to check their mental wellness through confidential and validated mental health survey tools and review the available resources and supports at Bruyère. Upon completion of a mental health assessment, employees were offered access to the Neurovine mental wellness platform, including the personalized Neurovine mobile application, an EEG Sensorband, and curated mental wellness content on stress management, nutrition, meditation, and exercise.

“Frontline workers are the backbone of our health care system, continuing to deliver care as we have navigated the incredible stress of the pandemic,” said Blake Daly, Manager, Health Innovation, Bruyère. “We welcome the opportunity to support the mental wellness of our teams and were happy to see 10% of staff participate in this mental health check-in.”

The partnership is a unique opportunity to establish a bird’s eye view of the current state of employee mental health. De-identified and anonymized survey scores are analyzed, helping to give a broad picture of how staff are doing based on those who participated in the survey. Neurovine’s analytics can then be used to see the impact of wellness initiatives and resources, including those provided through the Neurovine application, in subsequent pulse checks.

“Neurovine is pleased to work with Bruyère in its efforts to support the mental health of their hospital staff,” said Ashleigh Kennedy, CEO & Co-Founder, Neurovine. “The ability to assess the effectiveness of the Neurovine mobile application lines of health care will facilitate broader adoption across the delivery system, ultimately helping more health care workers reach their full potential for health and well-being.”

“OBIO^® is committed to supporting innovations that increase access to mental health care for health care workers, who shoulder the additional burden the pandemic has placed on the health system,” said Dr. Maura Campbell, OBIO^® President and CEO. “Innovations that support health care workers are ultimately an investment in the health care delivery system itself.”

About Bruyère

Bruyère is an academic health care organization training the next generation of health care leaders and using research and industry partnerships to improve care. Bruyère plays a unique role in the region’s health care system providing specialized hospital care, primary care, long-term care, and assisted and independent living for older adults while the Bruyère Research Institute focuses on finding the next generation of care for aging Canadians and vulnerable populations. To learn more about Bruyère, visit www.bruyere.org.

About Neurovine

Neurovine makes brain health visible and actionable through wearable technology, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. Neurovine uses portable EEG technology to read brain activity and send real-time reporting to concussion patients’ mobile devices, allowing doctors to track improvement, identify triggers, and prescribe treatment, empowering patients to take control of their recovery. Visit Neurovine for more information.

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™) to provide solutions. 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. Visit OBIO.ca for more information.

For more information:

Bibaswan Ghoshal, Director, Market Acceleration, OBIO^®

Jasmine Rooke, Manager, Research Communications, Bruyère

Dr. Ashleigh Kennedy, CEO & Co-Founder, Neurovine