XR and Mental Health Technologies in the US 2023
This Global Expert Mission which took place in March 2023 to gain a more in depth understanding of the XR and mental health technologies ecosystem, identify opportunities for collaboration, and explicitly reflects findings from the Northeast Coast of the United States, with the following stakeholder groups: universities, hospitals, psychiatric institutions, policymakers, and a not-for-profit and private corporation.
Top Five Insights
- Investigated the current landscape in XR technologies applied to mental health in the US
- Identified key research outputs in the public and private sectors
- Identified innovation opportunities for UK businesses
- Identified US demonstrators, test-bed and government departments responsible for pre-commercial deployment and support
- Learnt about the UK’s comparative position to the US in XR R&D outputs, commercialisation, policy and regulations
Abstract from outcome report:
UK companies working in XR and Mental Health are well equipped to collaborate with these stakeholders, with clear funding initiatives and resources through the soon-to-launch Center for Excellence. Further, many UK start-ups working at this intersection are university spinouts that are particularly well equipped to engage with US academics on collaborative research and with US institutions for clinical trials and market integration.
Challenges specific to the US healthcare ecosystem and opportunities for new solutions include waiting times for diagnosis, costs associated with in-hospital care, at-home care solutions, wellness while waiting for care, CMD interventions, mental health awareness, education and empathy training for healthcare professionals, remote collaboration between healthcare professionals and patient diagnosis. However, given the nascent stage of XR technology in the UK and US, there are several challenges that need to be overcome to facilitate international cooperation. These include navigating the US’ national and federal regulations, insurance policies, data and privacy regulations, unclear distribution channels, ethical and accessibility frameworks, funding and (a lack of) standardisation.
This Mission has provided insights into the market and policy drivers for mental health technology and how the UK can overcome challenges related to collaboration, market access and navigating regulatory barriers.
Watch the recording below from our Dissemination Webinar which took place following the Expert Mission.
About Global Expert Missions
The Global Expert Missions (GEM) programme is funded by Innovate UK and designed to build international collaborations with governments, societies, enterprises, institutions, and people from every corner of the globe. With global challenges requiring international perspectives, the programme aims to support the UK government’s ambition to be the international partner of choice and a global hub for innovation by 2035.