Tech solutions to kids’ mental health woes

The ideas and innovators shaping health care

Apr 12, 2024 View in browser   By Daniel Payne, Shawn Zeller, Erin Schumaker and Ruth Reader WEEKEND READ Tech may not be all bad for kids, public health leaders believe. | Getty Images The internet is often blamed for the rise in kids’ mental illnesses, but state and local governments still use it as a tool in their efforts to combat the problem. From teletherapy to efforts to build fulfilling communities online, state and local leaders are trying to leverage the virtual world to improve the mental health of children and teens, Daniel writes. Wider angle: Daniel reported on the tech-focused initiatives as part of a larger examination of the ways health and policy leaders are tackling the youth mental health epidemic. He found they’re trying innovative — but sometimes unproven — approaches. That worries some care providers, who fear it could waste time and money, and might even exacerbate the problem, but others say the magnitude of the crisis demands it. More than 1 in 5 high school students seriously considered suicide in 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Daniel interviewed nearly 30 policymakers, care providers and advocates over six months, and POLITICO surveyed 1,400 health professionals about the mental health of kids. The desperation driving the policy experimentation is palpable. Many care providers said they felt helpless, both in assessing the root causes of the rising rates of illness and in providing treatment. More than half said they were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with their ability to treat kids. What’s happening? Policymakers have looked to schools and communities to implement new solutions. Health systems have rethought their approaches with more access to mental health treatment in mind. And both have pushed for tech tools to make their efforts more efficient and impactful — sometimes at a massive scale. In New York City, for example, every teen is offered free online therapy as part of its attempt to stem mental illness. Talkspace, the telehealth company involved in the city’s effort and similar initiatives nationwide, says the potential to quickly deploy its online therapy on a large scale makes it a good fit for the problem. Even so: Using the internet to help young people isn’t happening in a vacuum. State and federal leaders also see social media companies as contributors to the problem — hauling them before legislative committees and taking them to court in an attempt to shield kids from content the officials suspect is harming youth mental health.   YOUR GUIDE TO EMPIRE STATE POLITICS: From the newsroom that doesn’t sleep, POLITICO's New York Playbook is the ultimate guide for power players navigating the intricate landscape of Empire State politics. Stay ahead of the curve with the latest and most important stories from Albany, New York City and around the state, with in-depth, original reporting to stay ahead of policy trends and political developments. Subscribe now to keep up with the daily hustle and bustle of NY politics.      WELCOME TO FUTURE PULSE Crown Point, N.Y. | Erin Schumaker/POLITICO This is where we explore the ideas and innovators shaping health care. Argentina is running out of bug spray during its worst-ever outbreak of dengue, a potentially life-threatening tropical disease that is transmitted by mosquitoes and was spurred by high heat and heavy rains, Bloomberg reports. Share any thoughts, news, tips and feedback with Carmen Paun at cpaun@politico.com, Daniel Payne at dpayne@politico.com, Ruth Reader at rreader@politico.com or Erin Schumaker at eschumaker@politico.com. Send tips securely through SecureDrop, Signal, Telegram or WhatsApp.   WASHINGTON WATCH Cantwell opposed a previous bid for a national privacy standard, but has joined the latest one. | Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/AP Photo The movement of data online created big gaps in existing health privacy law, and shoring up protections for Americans’ data is a bipartisan goal in Congress. But agreeing on a federal privacy standard has proved thorny, and an apparent breakthrough in negotiations last week might not get sufficient support to advance, POLITICO’s Alfred Ng reports. A new draft bill, floated as a political compromise among key congressional players after years of partisan gridlock, is under fire for the lawmakers’ concessions. The legislation’s authors, House Energy and Commerce Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) and Senate Commerce Chair Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), haven’t even convinced their committee counterparts to sign on, Alfred found. GOP objections: Republicans (and the tech industry in general) broadly oppose part of the deal that would give individual citizens the right to sue for privacy violations, the so-called private right of action. Senate Commerce Committee ranking member Ted Cruz (R-Texas), for one, said Monday he would oppose any bill with that provision included, arguing it would spur frivolous suits. Democrats’ grievances: Lawmakers on the left have long opposed a provision to preempt existing state privacy regulations, a move that would replace privacy laws in California, Colorado, Maryland and 13 other states with a federal standard. In 2022, then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi joined other California Democrats to oppose a previous federal privacy bill because of its language preempting state laws. The lawmakers argued states need the ability to write their own laws to address “rapid changes in technology.” Energy and Commerce ranking member Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), who has worked with Rodgers on prior privacy legislation, called the draft “very strong,” but also said he wanted to see it offer stronger protections for children. The tech industry’s beefs: Proposed limits on artificial intelligence are among the firms’ problems with the draft bill. The bill limits how companies can use AI in algorithmic decisions related to health care and allows people to request that a human make them. What’s next? Rodgers plans a hearing before her Energy and Commerce Committee on Wednesday.   Easily connect with the right N.Y. State influencers and foster the right relationships to champion your policy priorities. POLITICO Pro. Inside New York. Learn more.     TECH MAZE A code of conduct for artificial intelligence could help health providers navigate the new technology. | CHRISTOPHE SIMON/AFP via Getty Images The public and the medical community would have greater confidence in artificial intelligence’s advances in health care if care providers and tech companies agreed to some basic principles to guide AI’s use. The National Academy of Medicine, the nonprofit association that advises the government, is trying to build trust in AI for health care through a code of conduct. How so? A steering committee of academy staff and outside health care specialists assembled last year has issued a proposal. The committee members emphasize the urgency, given AI’s rapid adoption in health care, from disease detection and screening to drug discovery, coupled with the potential for ongoing risks. Because AI is based on input chosen by humans, AI tools could engrain bias, a particular risk for underrepresented groups. It could also lead to misdiagnoses, overuse of resources, privacy breaches and workforce displacement or inattention based on overreliance on AI, the committee found. What’s in the proposed code? It contains both broad principles and specific commitments that the committee hopes providers and tech developers will adopt. The principles call for transparency in the creation and adoption of AI systems and accountability if they steer humans wrong. Among the commitments are: — Equitable access to AI systems for all — Routine monitoring of AI tools, including documentation of their performance — Attention to AI’s impact on the well-being of the health care workforce What’s next? The academy plans to solicit feedback on the proposal from government agencies and others, assemble working groups of key stakeholders and test the principles in the real world with patients and providers.   Follow us on Twitter Carmen Paun @carmenpaun Daniel Payne @_daniel_payne Ruth Reader @RuthReader Erin Schumaker @erinlschumaker   Follow us

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