Ada integrates Scout by Sutter Health™ to help expand the award-winning mental health support platform nationally

NEW YORK and BERLIN, Oct. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ada Health ('Ada'), the global digital health company focused on improving human health at scale, today announces that it has integrated digital triage into the ground-breaking mental health support service, Scout by Sutter Health™ for young people in the United States, to help users better understand their mental health symptoms and services available to them, helping more young people than ever before access personalized support.

Young people across the United States are struggling with their mental health. Over 15% of American youths experienced a major depressive episode in the last year, a number exacerbated in recent years by the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, access to appropriate mental health services is limited, with over one third of Americans living in areas lacking mental health professionals.

As many as half of all mental disorders have begun by age 14. However, mental health concerns in young people are often stigmatized, with many experiencing difficulties in identifying and communicating distress and anticipating that help will be difficult to access. This can lead to a preference for self-reliance which, in turn, can create worse health outcomes later in life, and a greater long-term stress on healthcare services. Earlier this year, the White House argued that reducing barriers to mental health care would not only reduce the economic burden of unmet mental health needs but also increase the productive capacity of the economy moving forward, while researchers are increasingly pointing to the benefits of early intervention strategies in youth mental health.

Ada's powerful AI-based health assessment platform helps users better understand their mental and physical symptoms through a thorough series of non-judgmental questions based on clinically validated AI and protocols, and based on their responses, navigate them to available services and support. Ada's technology is available to tens of millions of users around the world through enterprise partnerships and Ada's free consumer app. The platform's medical knowledge covers an industry-leading range of symptoms and conditions, including mental health, while the platform itself prioritizes user safety and accuracy. Ada's assessment flow can also highlight potential 'red flags', indications of a more serious mental health concern, and offer more immediate support for those users.

Scout by Sutter Health™ is an early intervention and prevention focused digital experience that delivers evidence-based tips, tools, and activities to help teens and young adults build resilience and manage their everyday mental health. Co-designed with young people and clinical experts, the program offers personalized support to those aged 12-26. Scout offers mental health literacy, builds resilience and emotional health, and provides timely redirects to clinical care when needed. Participants receive weekly check-ins and are connected to non-clinical guides who support engagement. Scout is also available for caregivers who can enroll to receive information and tools designed to help them understand, support, and connect with their loved ones as they work through their mental health journey.

Users now completing an Ada assessment via Sutter's website and who meet the appropriate acuity and eligibility criteria may now be provided information about Scout by Sutter Health™ as a possible care option and presented with a dedicated sign-up page. Those under 16 years old are required to have an assessment completed on their behalf by a parent or caregiver.

The Scout by Sutter Health™ and Ada collaboration marks the first time the tool has been integrated into a consumer-facing symptom assessment solution; using Ada's assessment will increase reach, exposure and ultimately uptake among a high-need group.

Jeff Cutler, Chief Commercial Officer (US) at Ada Health, said:

"We're seeing a structural healthcare shift away from a reactive care model to a preventative one, where early intervention enables better outcomes for patients - this is just as true in the mental health space as it is with physical health. Making Scout by Sutter Health™ available from the Ada platform is an exciting step in our journey to provide users with inclusive support while also creating efficiencies for healthcare providers and systems, and we're thrilled that Sutter has chosen to further leverage our platform to make this vital service more widely available for young people."

Dr. Tam Nguyen, director of ambulatory care of Sutter's Mental Health and Addiction Care team, added:

"We're firm believers in the potential of digital health support improving continuous access to whole-person care. Scout by Sutter Health™ represents our commitment to supporting everyday youth mental health by meeting teens and young adults in the places where they live, work and play, with a solution that they have co-designed. We're excited to have the opportunity to bring the Scout by Sutter Health™ experience to more young people and caregivers through this innovative collaboration."

This integration marks the latest activation in a long-standing collaboration between Ada and Sutter Health. Ada's AI-powered symptom assessment and care navigation platform was integrated into Sutter Health's website and My Health Online patient portal in 2019.

About Ada

Ada is a global health company founded by doctors, scientists, and industry pioneers to create new possibilities for personal health and transform knowledge into better outcomes. Its core system connects medical knowledge with intelligent technology to help people actively manage their health and health systems to deliver more effective care. The company works with leading health providers, organizations, and governments to carry out this vision. Used by millions of people around the world, Ada is setting new standards for AI in healthcare.

To learn more, visit www.ada.com.

About Sutter Health

Sutter Health's integrated, not-for-profit network of aligned clinicians, employees and volunteers support more than 3 million Northern Californians in communities across 22 counties. Headquartered in Sacramento, Calif., the Sutter Health system provides access to high quality, affordable care for through its network of hospitals, medical foundations, ambulatory surgery centers, urgent and walk-in care centers, telehealth, home health and hospice services.

For more information about the Sutter Health network visit: sutterhealth.org | facebook.com/sutterhealth | youtube.com/sutterhealth | twitter.com/sutterhealth.