Oqea: Creating your place for Connected Wellbeing
Oqea
About
Oqea is the first person-centric mental health and wellbeing digital platform and consumer app to connect consumers, health providers, businesses, family, and friends all in one private, safe and secure online place. Our person-centric, collaborative digital care platform is designed to be preventative in nature and empowers people of all walks of life to make healthy connections with helpful people, information, and tools to manage their mental health and wellbeing. Using Oqea consumers can create their very own digital support team to make communicating with multiple health professionals and support providers as easy as possible to ensure they can get the support they need when they need it.
Oqea is currently servicing the veteran, chronic care, and youth markets, worth a combined estimated total of $220 billion per year. The areas of development we are currently targeting are product features that serve the GP market, who are the conduits of healthcare for all Medicare and DVA related claims. A large majority of Medicare claims are attributed to mental health or chronic care.
Project
Consumers have provided extensive feedback on the lack of integrated mental health care in Australia and providers are frustrated with the current systems of support for them to achieve better health outcomes for their consumers. The project addressed this problem by having consumers choose their care team and for clinicians to utilise Oqea as a person-centric, collaborative, connected digital care platform which empowers their clients to be active participants in their own care.
The project evaluated how members health and wellbeing can be improved or enhanced by providing continuity of care through shared communication between supporters within a digital support team environment. Outcomes were measured using selected self-reported - scales on wellbeing, stigma and loneliness. We anticipated that by using the platform clinicians will see an improvement in overall wellbeing scores, as well as a reduction in reported loneliness and stigma attached to mental health support seeking behaviours.
Benefits
The project provided an analysis of current research and research methodology to test the micro and macro assumptions for the Oqea digital platform into the future. The students worked in a start-up digital company and participated in defining future directions through their input. They were part of a dynamic team that is focussed on developing a digital solution in the mental health space. Students built on their workforce skills such as teamwork, communication, adaptability, creative thinking, innovation, and problem solving. They had exposure to the fundamentals of our business which incorporate values-based leadership, business development, marketing, quality assurance and project management processes. This provided valuable and adaptable skills for future career opportunities in any work environment.
KEVIN WERNLI
Curtin University
Allied Health (Physiotherapy)
Skills: Digital media & IT, qualitative & quantitative experience, communication, presentation skills, adaptable & a quick learner
SHAHID HUSSAIN
Edith Cowan University
Business & Law
Skills: Data collection & instrument design, qualitative & quantitative research, data analysis & visualisation, presentation, teamwork & communication skills, critical thinking & problem solving