Two chatbots supported by artificial intelligence (AI) that collect referral information have been recommended by NICE for wider use in NHS Talking Therapy services.
Both Limbic Access and Wysa Digital Referral Assistant are approved for three years while more data is collected on whether they save time and improve clinical decision making.
In draft guidance out for consultation, NICE said the tools may be helpful in gathering information for assessments ahead of patients accessing talking therapy services.
Some limited evidence so far suggest they may improve outcomes and workflow but more data is needed, NICE said.
The tools, which can be filled in as part of self-referral, may improve access to NHS Talking Therapies for those who prefer to use digital technology rather than traditional routes like GP referral, the consultation document concludes.
They may also help patients to find the right treatment pathway more quickly by providing more information to the assessing clinician.
Both are already used by some NHS Talking Therapy services to help determine if a patient is eligible and provide information to the clinician doing the first assessment.
They also provide assessment scores by taking users through the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9), Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and the Work and Social Adjustment Scale (WSAS).
But they do not diagnose or suggest treatment. Their use is designed to streamline referral and access, NICE said.
The quality of collected data before assessments for NHS Talking Therapies is often poor, which means that healthcare practitioners have to spend extra time gathering the necessary information during first appointments, the committee noted.
It is also important to make it easier for people to refer themselves for assessments whenever they need to, rather than relying on referrals from healthcare providers, it added.
The NHS Talking Therapies report for 2023/24 said the service in England handled 1.83 million referrals – an increase of 4% on the previous year. Of those 1.26 million accessed Talking Therapy services.
Last year, a Pulse survey found that NHS pressures mean two thirds of GPs are having to provide specialist mental health support beyond their competence.
The NICE HealthTech draft guidance is out for consultation until the 7th May.
