Digital Health Unplugged: The future of mental health technology

The latest episode of Digital Health Unplugged features Holly Coole, senior manager for digital mental health at the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), talking about the regulation of digital mental health technologies (DMHTs). Tammy Lovell, news editor at Digital Health News, chats to Coole about the three-year Digital Mental Health Project, which aims to improve outcomes for people with mental health conditions by ensuring that both medical professionals and the public have safe and effective access to DMHTs. In the podcast they discuss how the project, led by the MHRA in partnership with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, aims to provide clarity around the key considerations for the regulation and valuation of DMHTs.   They also talk about the challenges of regulating this area and why it is so important to protect patient safety, and ensure access to effective products for mental health.  Coole, who is a registered mental health nurse, co-authored a paper on the project, published in The Lancet Digital Health in January 2025. Listen to this episode to discover what this project means for the future of mental health technology in the UK. Guest: Holly Coole, senior manager for digital mental health at the MHRA