The world’s first digital perinatal mental health screening tool.
iCOPE is the world-leading digital screening tool
iCOPE facilitates efficient and effective mental health screening in the perinatal period (pregnancy and year following birth), and ensures every expectant and new parent is provided with the right information and access to support for their mental health at this vulnerable life-stage.
The digital platform screens for symptoms of depression and anxiety and assesses psychosocial risk factors in line with the COPE Clinical Practice Guideline.
iCOPE ensures 100% accuracy in scoring, provides automated tailored clinician and patient reports and resources, and facilitates efficient, cost-effective and private screening. Referral pathways are also built-in to ensure clients have ongoing access to information and support.
Developed by the Centre of Perinatal Excellence (COPE)
iCOPE was developed by the Centre of Perinatal Excellence in response to the current recognised barriers to screening across services, together with the absence of data to inform the extent to which screening is undertaken and the outcomes of screening under Australia’s National Perinatal Depression Initiative (NPDI).
As Australia’s peak body in perinatal mental health and funded by the Commonwealth Government, iCOPE is available throughout Australia to healthcare professionals providing perinatal care.
NEW – iCOPE 2.0
Following an extensive evaluation of iCOPE with health professionals and expectant and new parents, COPE is excited to launch the new and improved, iCOPE 2.0. Through the ongoing provision of funding by the Commonwealth Government, iCOPE 2.0 continues to be free to all public maternity hospitals and maternal and child health centres in participating jurisdictions, and available for private providers.
Public Hospitals and Maternal and Child Health Services
COPE is leading the free delivery of iCOPE to all public hospitals and maternal child health clinics across the country as part of the Commonwealth Government-funded National Perinatal Mental Health Check initiative.
The Private Healthcare Sector
iCOPE is available for purchase to private medical practitioners delivering perinatal care in all Australian states and territories, including GPs, obstetricians, doulas and private maternity hospitals.
In partnership with Personify Care
COPE is delighted to be partnering with Personify Care to deliver the iCOPE platform.
Personify Care is an Australian headquartered digital health company with operations across Australia and New Zealand. They are ISO27001:2022 certified, use best-in-class security processes and meet all requirements of the Australian Privacy Principles. In addition, the Personify Care platform provides 2-way capability with Patient Administration Systems and Electronic Medical Record Systems.
How does iCOPE Digital Screening work?
Easy and quick
Unique to iCOPE, the patient creates their own account to allow them to complete their questions and receive an instant report detailing their outcomes and linking them to further information and referral pathways.
Automated
Scores are automatically calculated, interpreted and delivered as reports for both clinicians and clients. A recent addition is the development of clinical guides for health professionals to guide them in conversations and clinical decision-making.
Secure
iCOPE is a secure online platform accessed by health professionals using unique login credentials.
Implementing best practice in perinatal mental health screening
In line with the National Perinatal Mental Health Guideline, the iCOPE platform contains questions pertaining to:
- Psychosocial risk factors – using the Antenatal Risk Questionnaire (ANRQ)
- Symptoms of depression and anxiety – using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS)
- Screening tools for mothers, fathers and non-birthing parents
- Screening tools for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
- Screening and patient reports in 32 languages
- Specialist clinical reports and clinical guides to support health professionals in discussing results with their clients and clinical decision making
- Automated information resources (eg. factsheets) provided in patient account in response to individual screening responses
- Invited access to Ready to COPE weekly psycho-education to provide ongoing support and advice beyond the point of screening
Other questions or questionnaires can also be included on the screening device to meet the needs of the population, service and/or specific area of research.
Almost 40% of clinicians report that screening has increased since the introduction of digital screening
Key advantages of iCOPE digital screening
- Embeds best practice by ensuring consistent and accurate interpretation of clinical scales in accordance with clinical guidelines
- Saves time by enabling screening to be undertaken outside of the consultation
- Produces automated clinician reports containing summary score data
- Provides tailored reports for consumers via email or SMS that detail key personal risks and symptoms, plus links to further information and support/treatment services
- Eliminates scorer error (100% accuracy)
- Enables screening questions and patient reports to be translated and delivered in multiple languages (25 languages currently available)
- Enables the collection of de-identified data to inform research, policy and service provision at a state/territory and national level.
- Automates the collection of identified patient data to provide sites with summary data regarding patient profiles, clinical status, etc., to inform service needs
- Healthcare providers can seamlessly upload and integrate patients’ iCOPE clinical reports into their existing patient record systems, including My Health Record
- Enables longitudinal collection of data so that patients can be monitored (and treatment outcomes assessed) over time
- Enables the collection of de-identified data to inform research, policy and service provision at a state/territory and national level
- Provides a ‘COVID-proof’ screening solution; patients can undertake screening in the waiting room on an iPad, or at home via an SMS link sent to their mobile phone
iCOPE digital screening platform can also be tailored to reflect branding and specific reporting needs across individual services.
Scoring and reporting
Summary scores and interpretations are calculated in real time and compiled into automated reports for both health professionals and patients/clients at the time of screening.
Clinical reports
The clinical reports for health professions provide summary information about the identified risk factors and EPDS scoring summaries, together with clinical advice in accordance with Best Practice Guidelines.
The clinical reports are in PDF format, allowing them to be uploaded into the patient’s medical records on other software systems (e.g. Genie, ObstetriX, Birthing outcomes system (BOS), Medical Director, Best Practice). This provides efficiency whilst ensuring compliance with the requirements of the Medicare Benefits Schedule (i.e. that results of the mental health assessment must be recorded in the patient’s medical record).
Patient reports
The individualised reports for patients/clients provide information about the person’s identified risk factors and their likelihood of experiencing depression and/or anxiety.
In addition, links to specific pages of the COPE website and support services are embedded to provide further information that specifically relates to identified risk factors or clinical symptoms.
Clients have access to antenatal and postnatal patient reports within their account, providing visibility across healthcare settings. Additionally, they can download and share their patient report with other healthcare providers.
Data collection for reporting and monitoring treatment outcomes
The collection of data across sites enables summary data to be monitored and reported to inform service need. In addition, patient data can be collected over time (longitudinal) to inform changes in clinical status (monitor progress/treatment outcomes).
Data is collected and recorded automatically in real time, and securely stored using secure messaging. This server-based approach protects sensitive data when sent beyond the corporate borders and provides compliance with industry regulations.
Each site has its own ‘sandbox’ of data, which is essentially all collected information in relation to patients screened within that service. This data can be provided to clinicians to enable them to undertake their own analysis and research on their clinical/research populations. In addition, there is also the option to have summary reports produced by COPE.
Language and cultural diversity
The iCOPE digital screening platform is currently available in 33 languages, increasing accessibility and enabling patients to undertake the screen and receive their report in their preferred language. This also helps increase screening accuracy and minimise the need for translators.
iCOPE has also been adapted to best support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.