iCOPE is a 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 mother is provided with the right support for their mental health.

The digital platform screens for symptoms of depression and anxiety and assesses psychosocial risk factors.

It ensures 100% accuracy in scoring, provides automated tailored clinician and patient reports and resources, and facilitates efficient, cost-effective and private screening.

iCOPE was developed 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).

iCOPE 2.0

Developed by the Centre of Perinatal Excellence (COPE) – Australia’s peak body in perinatal mental health – iCOPE is available throughout Australia to healthcare professionals providing perinatal care.

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

The patient completes a series of questions via SMS link sent to their mobile phone, or on an iPad supplied by their healthcare provider.

Automated

Scores are automatically calculated, interpreted and delivered as reports for both clinicians and patients. iCOPE also facilitates the collection and collation of patient data for research purposes.

Secure

iCOPE is a secure online platform accessed by health professionals using unique login credentials.

Implementing best practice

In line with the National Perinatal Mental Health Guideline, the iCOPE platform currently 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).

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.

iCOPE also includes questions to ascertain if the client may be eligible for MBS items surrounding a Complex Birth (MBS Item 16552) as well as assess for the presence of symptoms and psychosocial risk factors, including drug and alcohol use and family violence, as required, to claim MBS Items 16590/16591 (antenatal) and Item 16407 (postnatal).

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 are embedded to provide further information that specifically relate to identified risk factors or clinical symptoms. Data for patients can be sent to their personal email accounts or sent via SMS to their personal device.

COPE is a secure web-based platform accessed by providing health professionals with an individual login and password into the system. In consultation with the health practitioners and services, selected screening questions and questionnaires are available.

In line with the National Perinatal Mental Health Guidelines, the iCOPE platform currently 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).

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.

Since 2017 iCOPE now includes questions to ascertain if the client may be eligible for MBS items surrounding a Complex Birth (MBS Item 16552) as well as assess for the presence of symptoms and psychosocial risk factors, including drug and alcohol use and family violence, as required, to claim MBS Items 16590/16591 (antenatal) and Item 16407 (postnatal).

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).

Tailoring across sites and services

The iCOPE platform can be tailored to reflect the branding and specific reporting needs across individual services.  This includes, for example, the inclusion of company branding on the screen.

Availability in other languages and cultural adaptions

The iCOPE Platform is currently available in 33 languages:

Find out more about how to screen in different languages here.

Adaptation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples

There are currently two mental health screening tools that have been developed specifically for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and men in the perinatal period. They include:

• Mt Isa Postnatal Depressions Scale
• Kimberley Mum’s Mood Scale (KMMS)

The KMMS and Mt Isa Postnatal Depression Scale screening tools are fully integrated into iCOPE, and available to health services across the country via the iCOPE program.