From Apps to AI: Key Takeaways from Season Two of Women's Digital Health

In the final episode of Season Two of the Women's Digital Health Podcast, I wanted to guide you through our mental health and technology journey. This season has focused on how technology can support mental health, especially in light of the current mental health crisis highlighted by the American Psychological Association.

We’ve packed this season with valuable content aimed at being a resource for our community and discussed the scarcity of mental health professionals. Technology can serve as a bridge to help those in need, but with all of the advancements in the tech health space, it can be difficult to know which option (or options) are right for you.

As we wrap up, I provide a roadmap to navigate our episodes so you can find the support that resonates with you. I share key takeaways from each episode, my personal reflections, and some exciting announcements about what’s coming in season three.

Topics include:

Understanding the mental health crisis

• The role of technology
• Episode highlights, and pointers to the topics we covered
• My personal reflections on Season Two of the Women's Digital Health Podcast
• The first step you should take before exploring digital mental health solutions
• Future directions and plans for Season Three of the Women's Digital Health Podcast

I hope that this episode serves as a valuable resource for anyone looking to integrate technology into their mental health journey. By providing a guide to previous episodes and sharing personal insights, I hope you'll feel more confident in taking charge of your mental health with the help of innovative digital solutions.

Don't forget to sign up for our newsletter to be the first to know about the launch of Season Three!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Listen to Dr. Brandi's episode of the Overlooked podcast: Where do we get our health information from?
• Sign up for the Women's Digital Health Newsletter

Subscribe to the Women's Digital Health Podcast wherever you're listening right now, and discover more about the intersection of technology, mental health, and personal development. And please share the podcast with anyone from your community who will benefit.

Disclaimer
The information in this podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment.

The personal views expressed by guests on Women's Digital Health are their own. Their inclusion here does not constitute an endorsement from Dr. Brandi, Women's Digital Health, or associated organizations.

Visit Women's Digital Health and subscribe to our newsletter.

Connect with Women's Digital Health on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

Transcript

Dr. Brandi Sinkfield:
 Welcome back to episode 20, the final episode of season two. And in episode 20, we're nearing the end of our journey through mental health and technology. And in this episode, you're going to get a guide of how you might want to look at some of the episodes that we've done in this season. We really want it to be a resource for the community that's content heavy. So you can go back to some of these episodes as you're moving through your mental health journey. and you're considering getting help and you're wondering how might this smartphone or how might this laptop or these other devices, how do they all show up when you're considering getting help? And this episode is going to help you navigate some of the episodes we've done this season to get you the help that you need. I'm going to give you some key takeaways from each episode. I'm going to offer you my personal reflections on what I've learned in putting this season together and what feedback I've received from listeners who have shared with me what they've learned on their own personal journey. I'm also going to share some exciting announcements and give you a sneak peek of what you can expect in season three. So stay tuned. This is a great resource episode to end the season. 

Welcome to the Women's Digital Health Podcast, a podcast dedicated to learning more about new digital technologies in women's health. We discuss convenient and accessible solutions that support women with common health conditions. Join us as we explore innovations like mobile health applications, sensors, telehealth, and artificial intelligence, plus more. Learn from a board-certified anesthesiologist the best tips to fill in some of your health experience gaps throughout life's journey. 

All right, so as we end the season, I want to give a special thank you to all of my listeners who have listened this season. We're on a lot and we just appreciate all the support. People who have shouted us out and commented and reposted our episodes on LinkedIn or Instagram or TikTok. Thank you so much. We really appreciate you helping us grow and we just look forward to the next season. I also want to give a special thank you to all of our knowledgeable and very kind experts who took the time to interview with Women's Digital Health. Dr. Allison Smith, Dr. Dhami, Coach LaShondra Walker, and Reverend Sonia Russell, who really helped us put a real picture to a face of what a healthy mental health journey could look like. 

Lastly, I want to say if you're considering starting your mental health journey with maybe professional help or maybe with a technology, it's never too late. It's still 2024. 

But let's say, hey, you're like, Dr. Brandi, this all sounds great. You know, I'm listening to these episodes, but I'll get back to you. That's fine. That's totally okay. What we are offering in this episode is direction. We're offering next steps. We're offering a guide to how you could use technology that's on your smartphone or on your laptop or with a professional who specializes in getting you to your next destination to improve your mood, improve your sleep, improve your energy, just improve your overall mental health. So in this season, we were all about mental health and the use of technology. How can technology show up and be this really valuable tool in addressing some of the mental health challenges? 

And specifically, the mental health challenges I am addressing is, as a recap, we talked about the American Psychological Association survey. that interviewed Americans who believed that we are currently in a mental health crisis, okay? And the challenge is that although many of us believe we're in a mental health crisis, there is a scarcity of mental health professionals, and that's a huge challenge. And so there is a case for the use of technology along with using a mental health professional to serve as a bridge to this growing mental health epidemic. And what we do in this episode is we set out to present many different types, many different approaches to looking at technology, starting with the one on your smartphone. And we also talk about the use of artificial intelligence in our three-part series on AI, starting with terms, discussing who's using them, and then closing with the impact of artificial intelligence on women's health and privacy. We also talk about tele-mental health and how you can get the best experience, whether it's your first visit or it's your next visit. And lastly, we host numerous guests who offer guidance on how to use different tools for different moments or different chapters in your life, whether you're experiencing burnout or severe anxiety, whether you're considering becoming pregnant, you are pregnant, or you just had a baby. Making sure that the technology is culturally inclusive, particularly for black people who are often not included in the health technology discussion. 

So the next part of this episode, we're going to point you, we're going to guide you to where you want to go if you want to find out more about each of these different topics. But before I start this guide, I just want to say if there's any first step that you could take before considering getting mental health support and incorporating technology, the first step is to check in with yourself. Ask yourself, what is it that I need? 

The reason I say this is because when you start to search some of these technologies, marketing has this funny way of telling you what they think your problem is in the nicest way possible. But if you haven't done that inside check, that inside like, how am I feeling? What could be better? It's gonna get very confusing. So before any of this, talk to your friends, journal, go for that walk, ask yourself, Where am I in my life where I could use more? 

Okay, so the next few minutes, we're going to give you this guide to all of the episodes of season two. It's going to tell you what to listen to if you're considering getting some of your questions answered about the various mental health challenges that we just discussed. So we're going to start with episode 11. So if you are at all thinking about getting help with your mood or your current emotional state, you know, maybe it's an energy issue, it's a sleep issue, it's just the overall just feeling just a little off, I would definitely talk to your primary care physician. They can actually get the ball rolling on a referral to a mental health professional. And it takes a little bit of time. So in addition to getting that ball rolling, in finding support, many of us are on our phone. 

We're scrolling through the App Store. You might be looking for an app for your sleep. You might be looking for an app to improve your energy. If that's where you are, start with episode 11. That one is all about navigating digital mental health apps. And it's specifically asking the question, how does one look for these different digital mental health tools that are on the App Store? Because there's different ones for wellness and there are different ones for mental health conditions and it's perfect for someone who's trying to figure out like which one is which and which one is the best one. We talk about the difference between mental health wellness apps. And we talk about the difference between those that are specific for mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, PTSD. And we mentioned the use of digital therapeutics, which is an approach that some mental health professionals are using to help assist their patients along with their expertise. So that's all in episode 11. 

Now, if you think you would like to consider a life coach, a psychologist, or any mental health professional, Then episode 12 is all about meeting these experts where you are through telehealth. And we give you this success guide to understanding what's the best way to use telehealth for your mental health. If you want something convenient, you want something more accessible, check out episode 12. That's where we give you practical tips on how to get the best out of your virtual mental health sessions. 

So Episode 13, 14, and 15 are all about artificial intelligence. In Episode 13, we give you this overview of a term called language models. and how language models are showing up in the mental health space. This episode dives into how AI is already being used in some of the existing health apps that you're using right now. And we also discuss the use of chatbots that are talking through these mental health, not only with you as someone who's using these mental health apps, but also assisting mental health care professionals. we dive a little bit deeper into who's actually using artificial intelligence in episode 14. We talk about who's benefiting. We talk about the difference between the professionals who are using artificial intelligence or helping them organize their office settings and how you as a person might be receiving this mental health care using artificial intelligence. So check out episode 14 if you really want to know where artificial intelligence is showing up. 

Episode 15 is all about impact on mental health. So if you have a question about data privacy and bias, that's the episode for you. This was talking about how these different risks are impacting artificial intelligence use in women's health. If you're concerned about data breaches, there's just a lot more recent data breaches in healthcare and how artificial intelligence could be. use in the current health care setting and what to look out for and how to protect yourself from these data breaches. Episode 15 is for that. So 13, 14, 15 are all about AI. If that's what you're interested in, check out those episodes. 

Hey, listeners, it's Dr. Brandi. Thanks for listening to this episode of Women's Digital Health. Subscribe to Women's Digital Health on your favorite podcast platform. If you want to know even more about how to use technology to improve your health, subscribe to our newsletter on womensdigitalhealth.com. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn. Enjoy the rest of this episode. 

Okay, so moving on to episodes 16, 17, 18, and 19. These are all real health stories. These are coming from women who have had specific challenges in their life, and they have had unique perspectives on how to deal with certain mental health challenges in their life. Episode 16 is all about non-invasive brain technologies. And we sit down with Dr. Allison Smith, CEO and co-founder of Roguelife, who looks at an innovative brain technology to help deal with burnout and anxiety. It's a really important episode for those who are looking at emerging tech. They want to try different techniques, different ways to address their mental health, along with a mental health professional. 

Certainly, there's all different types of treatments out there. There's cognitive brain therapy, there's medication, there's these mental health apps. But if you want to try some other ones, like non-invasive brain technology, check out episode 16. It's a great interview. 

In Episode 17, we sit down with Adult Share Life Coach, LaShonda Walker. She is wonderful. She's so easy to talk to. If you're looking for a coaching approach to managing challenges in your personal life, your work life, or both, Episode 17, this is how you can really understand what it might look like. If you find a coach and you sit down and they can understand how you can use both tech and the mental health coaching to really understand what it looks like to see both, Episode 17 is definitely for you. 

Episode 18, now this one is all about perinatal mental health. So whether you are thinking about getting pregnant, whether you are pregnant, maybe it's your first baby, it's your next baby. Many of us just don't talk about the life shift, the life moments that happen in pregnancy. There's a lot of mental health issues that are unique to expecting mothers. And Dr. Dami, who is the medical director of the Inpatient Perinatal Mental Health Clinic at El Camino Hospital, in Mountain View, California, is an expert in guiding those who have these unique mental health needs for expecting mothers. If you're a healthcare provider and you didn't know that there are only three inpatient hospitals that manage perinatal mental health patients in the United States that actually manage these patients, sit down and listen to episode 18. It's a must listen for mothers to know what resources exist as you journey through your perinatal experience. 

Okay, episode 19. This is a sit down with Reverend Sonya Russell. She is the CEO and founder of Blackfulness. This is a powerful mindfulness mental health app unique for the Black experience. This episode is so powerful because she shares her own personal journey to mindfulness. And it's a reminder that representation matters. The uniqueness of the Black experience combined with the power of mindfulness can have a huge impact and improve both physical and mental health when done right, and they definitely nailed it with this one. And so she, along with psychology professor Natalie Watson Singleton and marketing and behavior science professional David Walker, created this app that aims to bridge this huge gap that they saw needed to be filled in the digital mental health space.

Okay, so I hope that guide can really help you navigate season two. It's been a very high yield learning season for me. I've learned so much and I'm going to share some of the things that not only that I've learned on my own, but just from what I've heard from people who've listened to episodes, you know, what I've heard from women after creating this season. 

If I had to sum up what I heard a lot from as I discussed technology and mental health, is that number one, women want to feel heard. They want to feel heard at their clinic visits. They want to feel heard in their workplace. They want to feel heard in their homes. And oftentimes when we talk about technology, technology is just a reflection of the current state of our existence. And quite frankly, what I hear a lot from women is that we don't really see ourselves or our problems being addressed in technology. And so what I've uncovered in doing this season is that there needs to be so much more representation from women. 

We need more representation culturally to address specific issues with women. And we need help helping women advocate for themselves when they ask for help around their mental health. Other thing I heard from a lot of my listeners is that there is a feeling of fear or intimidation from artificial intelligence. Whenever people hear this term, immediately I get a lot of feedback. You can see it on YouTube and Instagram. They are very frustrated by the imposition of AI. And what I mean by that, many of us feel as if it just kind of, it's here and we had no say in how it's going to show up. And so the questions of, is it going to take my job? Is it going to take my privacy or even my identity? and more specifically in mental health, will I be talking at CHAPA? I hear those questions a lot.

And the reality is I do address some of those issues in this series. And part of my motivation was that it's here and it's growing faster. And I do think that there's a role for us to have an opportunity for us to slow down and understand what it means so that we can all determine what we should and should not allow and allow people to have a voice to say what they want to see so we can make it better. And so I created that three-part series to address those concerns, to break down what things mean, how it's going to show up, how you could potentially see it in the mental health space so that we can understand just in general. I think people just want to know. Am I doing the right thing? You know, what's the right step? Is it to use technology for mental health? Is it to use a professional or should I just call a friend? And the answer is all of them. 

By no means am I saying exclusively use technology or exclusively use a mental health professional. I think in general, what I hope people take away is that the mental health journey is not just one resource, it's all of them. And it's an everyday tinkering and figuring out what's going to work for you. There's just so many solutions that I think technology deserves its own space to say, here's something in addition to some of the traditional things that we've thought about when we think about getting mental health. That's the feedback I've received in terms of what I've felt and learned in creating this season. 

I'll be honest with you, I was very hesitant to dive into mental health. Number one, because by training, I'm an anesthesiologist. So there definitely was some imposter syndrome. Who do I think I am? I'm diving into this field. I don't have any specialized expertise in it. And so it took me a while for me to look at my own personal experiences with grief and anxiety and clinician burnout. And at the same time, watch my patients who are terrified sometimes before they go to surgery, before they have a baby, to say, you know, hold on a minute. I do have some expertise. Not only do I have personal experience, but I have clinical experience because I'm watching women. experiences in real time, and my knowledge and expertise in health technology can really open up this conversation to help women know that there are so many options that can give them the words, can give them the voice, give them the confidence to understand that there are people who have created innovations that can really improve their life. 

Alright, so the final reflection, final question that people may want to know about some of these technologies is, do you use any of these technologies? And the answer is yes. Yes, I do use some of the technologies that have been discussed in this season. 

For those of you who know me, I'm big on meditation, and I just find that the meditation apps just make it a lot more convenient to continue my practice and be consistent with my practice. So I use meditation apps like Calm and Insight Timer. I use telehealth for all sorts of physical and mental health well-being. I use it for coaching. I use it for a lot of different things, just for the convenience and accessibility feature. I use Rogo, which is the non-invasive branding technology. I use it more so for focus. I don't use it, honestly, if I don't use it on a regular basis, but if I need to like hone in or zone in on something, I will use it for that. I love the Blackfulness app that's used for mindfulness exercises. So, and in addition to these technologies, I exercise regularly. My diet is okay, it's decent, but I would say that What I've learned from these different mental health apps is I definitely need to get more support for my sleep. So that's probably gonna be my next focus, but I don't think I would have really been able to understand that without the combination of getting coaching, using these apps, and doing all these other things. I don't think I would have honed in on, hey, it's my sleep that I probably need to improve on. 

You know, in this episode with talking about what season three is probably going to look like, I'll announce the topic in just a moment, but I wanted to get through a few announcements, just some things that I never expected would happen since I've started this podcast. There have been so many opportunities that have been presented to me, and I'm proud of what I've produced. I appreciate my team so much for helping me with everything that I've achieved so far. Steve Woodward, my podcast editor, Maria Haley Salasi, who does my social media, Jasmine Villamanca, who also helps me with my social media, and Ashley Bond, who does my newsletter and all of my LinkedIn posts. It's just been a wonderful, wonderful year. And so I could not do this without my team. 

So thank you so much for helping women's digital health grow more than, it's more than what I could imagine when I first started. The first announcement is that I'm going to be speaking at the American Society of Anesthesiology in October of 2024 this year. Basically, it's going to be the primer for anesthesiologists on the use of artificial intelligence in anesthesia. It's a pre-recorded talk given with my former attendings, those who taught me in residency at the Cleveland Clinic, Dr. Piyush Mathur, Dr. Kenneth Cunnings. We're all going to be offering this primer. My focus is going to be on the use of artificial intelligence and improving post-operative outcomes. And I'll be sure to post my part of that talk in a future episode, along with a breakdown of some of the terms. So once that's done, I'll definitely post it. 

So that's something I'm really excited about, feel proud about that. Announcement is my participation in the podcast called Overlooked, done by Golda Arthur, who is this phenomenal journalist and has expertise in health technology. She walks us through a journey of her mother's diagnosis of ovarian cancer, who has overcome ovarian cancer, has relapsed several times and has overcome every single time. And she walks through this journey of what it's like as a daughter to help her mother with this ovarian cancer while at the same time understanding her own risks. So I sat down with her about the experience of women's health and literacy from my perspective as an anesthesiologist. 

So definitely check out her interview on her podcast called Overlooked, and I'll share the link to that interview in the show notes. Lastly, we are coming up on the end of the year. We had a workshop earlier this year that was focused on what goals that you want to achieve for your health in 2024. And lo and behold, it is now fall and it's workshop time. It's time to check in on those goals. 

If you want to know when that workshop is coming up, make sure you subscribe to our newsletter. We will be announcing the dates. It's going to be in October. And so we'll send out that date via our newsletter. And listen, it doesn't matter where you are with the goal, because we are still in 2024. It's not over. You still have time to achieve some of those goals. Just go ahead and sign up for the newsletter so you can get access to those dates. We can help you. We are a strong and mighty group, and we will get you there. We've covered a lot in this episode. 

I'm sure many of you are all waiting patiently to know what is the next season going to be about. The choice of this season comes from a lot of statements that I'm hearing from women these days. It sounds something like this. 

So here's what's going on with me, Dr. Brandi. I've worked so hard in the last five to 10 years trying to make that career goal. I finally started my family. I have so much to be proud of. I'm finally starting to spread my wings. And yet I'm noticing that my body is changing. I haven't changed my diet that much. I haven't changed my exercise routine that much, but my body is changing. Those are the statements I'm hearing a lot from friends, family, even just general conversations. And so what I'm thinking about a lot these days is it could be just one possibility that you are in a phase in your life called perimenopause. And perimenopause is a phase of life that we are just now starting to understand. We're just now starting to unveil some of the unique challenges that women experience. And so for season three, I've chosen to explore perimenopause, along with health professionals who have expertise in perimenopause, but also to look at how technology can show up for women as they navigate this chapter in their life. Make sure you subscribe to the newsletter. 

That's where I will be announcing the date of that season. I don't even start to record it yet, but it will be filled with a lot of answers to questions that many of you have asked me that I just want in from different perspectives, from different people who address this, as well as my own perspective as an anesthesiologist who's seeing many women in this chapter of their lives and how I approach this. This concludes episode 20. 

Again, I cannot express my gratitude anymore. I just really appreciate this growth of the Women's Digital Health Podcast. This has been so fun to create. I have learned so much. And so I hope that you have too. 

In this episode, we gave you a guide to season two as you approach your mental health journey using technology. Episode 11, we talk about how to find different mental health apps. Episode 12, we discuss the use of telehealth and we give you tips on how to use this convenient and accessible solution. to get mental health professionals connected to where you are. We offer a three-part series on artificial intelligence, what's going on in the mental health space in episodes 13, 14, and 15. And lastly, We talk to real women with real health stories in episodes 16, 17, 18, and 19, and learn how they address specific, unique situations using technology. 

If you love this podcast and you want to hear more, please give us a five-star review wherever you listen to your podcast. Don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter. Say hi to us on social media. We're on TikTok. We're on Instagram. We're at LinkedIn. repost the information if you think it's gonna benefit somebody. We cannot wait to connect with you via our workshops. We appreciate you guys so much. I just thank you so much for listening and bye for now. 

Although I'm a board-certified physician, I am not your physician. All content and information on this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice and it does not establish a doctor-patient relationship by listening to this podcast. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you heard on this podcast. The personal views of our podcast guests on women's digital health are their own and do not replace medical professional advice.