Exploring evidence regarding vision-based monitoring in inpatient mental health units

In January 2024, SQW, supported by the King’s Fund Library Service, was commissioned by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to undertake a rapid literature review focusing on the use and effectiveness of vision-based monitoring systems (VBMS) in inpatient mental health units. The evolving health and care environment involves the increasing use of different types of technologies. VBMS is data-driven digital healthcare surveillance technology that aims to support patient safety, for example through the non-contact measurement of indicators such as pulse, breathing rate, an estimate of patient location, activity/behaviour data, and video (either in real time or through subsequent review). These technologies are increasingly being used in inpatient mental health services (currently used by approximately half of English NHS mental health Trusts[1]), and their usage (and that of similar technologies) has the potential to grow moving forwards.

The review is intended to inform CQC’s thinking about best practice and consent for the use of VBMS, and mitigation strategies for potential threats to people’s human rights.

CQC has issued a call for evidence, to identify documents which could be considered as part of the review.

This call for evidence is asking for your support with this study. This is your chance to identify and provide access to any reports, documents or other evidence that can be considered as part of the review.

The bullet points below sets out the purpose and aims of this call for evidence, and the overall piece of research that it is supporting. The list details the core research questions that the study will seek to answer, and the types of evidence we are seeking to collect.

Any evidence you provide will be considered as part of our evidence sifting process.

Responses to this call can be sent to Carolyn Hindle at SQW (chindle@sqw.co.uk), or you can share your responses with Kathryn Breeze at CQC (Kathryn.Breeze@cqc.org.uk), who will share them with the research team at SQW.

Please respond by 10th February. Thank you – your help with this is much appreciated.

Call for evidence information:

Study title: Exploring evidence regarding vision-based monitoring technologies in inpatient mental health units

Literature review aims:

  • To identify and explore relevant evidence regarding the use, effectiveness and impact of VBMS in inpatient mental health units and other comparable health and social care settings.
  • To inform CQC’s thinking about best practice and evidence gathering around consent for the use of VBMS, and mitigation strategies for potential threats to people’s human rights.
  • To inform CQC’s understanding of how this technology can best be used to improve patient care.
  • To contribute to CQC’s strategic delivery, and promote the safety, health and welfare of mental health patients through appropriate use of technology.

Literature review questions:

  • How effective are VBMS in reducing the risks caused by self-harm and restrictive practice in mental health units?
  • How effective are VBMS in improving inpatient mental healthcare?
  • How is VBMS used in inpatient mental health services, and does this vary across different locations/setting features?
  • What types of VBMS are typically used? (including: are they registered as medical devices, how are they manufactured, and what are their intended uses as marketed by developers?)
  • What are the main drivers for use of VBMS in inpatient mental health services?
  • What is the evidence emerging regarding the effectiveness of VBMS in inpatient mental health services?
  • What transferable learning/evidence is there from other health and care settings regarding the use of VBMS?
  • What alternatives to VBMS are used alongside/instead of VBMS , and comparatively how effective are these in reducing incidents of restraint on mental health inpatients and self harm?
  • What are the challenges and enablers regarding the use of VBMS in inpatient mental health services?
  • What are the risks associated with VBMS use? How are these being mitigated?
  • What are the potential/actual human rights implications of VBMS use in inpatient mental health units?
  • What might the implications be for CQC’s regulatory role?

Review scope:

  • Period: 2010-2024
  • Geography:
    • UK
    • Comparable countries (Europe incl. Scandinavia, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand)
  • Language of publication: English

Examples of types of evidence:

  • Evaluations, research reports
  • Guidance documents
  • Journal articles focused on vision-based monitoring systems
  • Literature reviews exploring multiple studies which include focus on this subject area
  • Case studies focused on this subject area.

For more information about the study, please contact Lauren Roberts (SQW) via lroberts@sqw.co.uk, or Kathryn Breeze (CQC) via Kathryn.Breeze@cqc.org.uk.

[1] National Mental Health and Learning Disability Nurse Directors Forum (2022) Vision-based patient monitoring systems (VBPMS) in mental health wards