ULTRASIS - ONWARDS AND UPWARDS

At Ultrasis we believe that people have the ability to manage their own health care and the right to exercise choice in determining their treatment options. With this in mind, Ultrasis have developed a range of computer based products for a variety of mental health and other conditions. Some of these products can only be accessed via health care professionals whilst others are directly accessible from Ultrasis' new retail outlet - The Wellness Shop.


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Ultrasis' market leading computerised cognitive behavioural therapy programme for depression and anxiety – Beating the Blues® -was developed in collaboration with Dr Judy Proudfoot and her colleagues at the Institute of Psychiatry, London. The programme combines best practice in cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and user friendly multi-media to provide an 8 week computer based therapy.

Beating the Blues® was recommended by the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) as a treatment option for all people seen with mild and moderate depression. It is expected that all PCTs should be able to offer the program by March 31st 2007. For more details go to

Currently Beating the Blues® is available in over 400 locations in the UK where it has been consistently shown to reduce waiting lists for CBT. The research evidence, from randomised controlled trials, demonstrates that Beating the Blues® is appropriate across a broad population of patients typically seen in primary care. It is equally effective for all age groups (between 18-75) of either gender, regardless of length or severity of illness, and extent of previous computer experience. It has also been shown to give increased benefit to patients who are also receiving medication. A number of natural studies consistently demonstrate that the outcomes obtained in the RCTs are maintained in routine care.

Feedback from patients who have used the programme is extremely positive. In one study nine out of ten people found Beating the Blues® helpful and would recommend it to others, whilst over half found the programme better than other treatments they had received.

Beating the Blues® does not require overseeing by a mental health professional. Many GPs have a single computer (and printer) in their surgery and simply refer patients to the programme based on their own diagnosis of depression or anxiety. All that is required of surgery staff is to make appointments, help the patient log-in at the beginning of the session, and make sure that patients take all their summary and homework away at the end of each session. In some surgeries this task is performed by a receptionist or practice nurse. The programme also allows the GP to monitor each patient via a progress report, which is printed after every session, and a final patient specific summary report.

Other GPs are able to refer to other sites with Beating the Blues® – for instance other GP surgeries close-by, community mental health teams, specialist mental health services, and specialist CBT centres. In some PCTs graduate mental health workers are an important resource in implementing the programme.

All alternative methods of implementation have demonstrated a significant reduction of waiting lists combined with a demonstrable provision of choice of effective treatment for the patient.

Swindon Primary Care Trust made Beating the Blues® available at their Taw Hill practice in 2003 and the service has been extended to the whole of the Wiltshire.

Dr Peter Crouch, a GP at Taw Hill says "Beating the Blues® has enabled us (the PCT) to offer Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to many more of our patients than we ever dreamed would be possible"

Specialist mental health services also see the benefit of Beating the Blues® The CBT Department in Chelmsford routinely offer the program to all patients with depression and anxiety who are assessed as suitable candidates for CBT. Provision of the program allows immediate treatment to be offered rather than patients having to wait 18 months for individual therapy. Nearly 700 patients have used the program in this setting.

Beating the Blues® is just one of the Interactive Healthcare programmes developed by Ultrasis.

The Relief Series are multi-media, web based programmes which provide people with the skills and knowledge to self-manage

stress
anxiety
depression
insomnia
The programmes are available 24/7 and are completely confidential. They are all based on evidence based approaches and include self assessment, information, advice and multi-media presentations illustrating techniques using case studies and worked examples.

User feedback shows that nearly 90% of respondents found the programmes informative, easy to use and helpful.

The Relief Series is provided by the National Health Service in some parts of UK but is now also available to individuals on The Wellness Shop.

Drink and Drug Wise is a self- help tool for people with lower levels of alcohol and drug abuse. The aim is to prevent people becoming serious abusers, and to help them lessen the impact on jobs and relationships. The programme can also be used with more serious abusers under the care of a health care professional.

Ultrasis – working in partnership to deliver real health benefit.
Ultrasis has developed mutually beneficial partnerships with a large number of NHS, Local Authority and commercial organizations. We see working in true partnership as the only way to deliver on the health care agenda and to improve the health and well-being of the UK population.

St Helens Primary Care Trust implemented the Relief Series as part of a 'whole system' mental health promotion initiative to its resident population (175,000 people) in 2003.

David Sweeney, Mental Health Commissioning Manager says "For a very modest investment we have been able to make these four programmes available to our whole population and they are proving a very popular choice with the people who live and work in our PCT due to them being available 24/7, easy to use, educational and empowering."

Kent County Council have made our programmes available to their employees as an integral part of their health and well-being support programme.

KCC Cabinet Member for Resources Kevin Lynes said …."This online programme, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, is another way we are supporting staff in looking after their health and wellbeing."

The Wellness Shop

The Relief Series of products for Stress, Depression, Anxiety, and Insomnia are now available for purchase by individuals at the www.thewellnessshop.co.uk. Ultrasis has recently launched this online retail service to address the growing demand for quality healthcare products and services that help people to be more active in managing their own health and wellbeing.

'Tension Taker', an innovative product which teaches relaxation using a biofeedback technique, is also available at The Wellness Shop.

Tension Taker uses a 'sensor' to measure the electrical properties of skin. These properties indicate an individual's level of physiological ' arousal' or tension. As people relax the electrical properties of skin change and the changes move an animation on the computer screen. By playing this animated computer game the user learns to relax completely. Relaxation using biofeedback has been shown to help control symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), as well as stress and anxiety.

For more information about Ultrasis products go to www.ultrasis.com or call John Smith on 0207 566 3900.



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