12 Sep 2011 07:00
12 September 2011
Ultrasis plc
("Ultrasis" or the "Company")
Beating the Blues US to be used in US Army research
Ultrasis, the provider of interactive health care services, is pleased to announce that its flagship product for the treatment of depression, Beating the Blues, is to be used as a key component in a five year research study within the US Army.
The trial, entitled STEPS UP, will be led by Colonel Charles Engel, MD, MPH of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and Deployment Health Clinical Center at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center ("WRNMMC") (formerly Walter Reed Army Medical Center) and partnering investigators Dr. Lisa Jaycox from RAND Corporation and Dr. Robert Bray from RTI International. Researchers from VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston University, and the University of Washington will also be collaborating.
STEPS UP will test the effectiveness of a systems-level approach to primary care recognition and management of post-traumatic stress disorder ("PTSD") and depression in the US military health system, with the overall aim of improving healthcare for service members with PTSD and/or depression.
Nigel Brabbins, CEO of Ultrasis, said:
"We are delighted to be working in partnership with the clinical specialists at WRNMMC to provide Beating the Blues as a key component of this ground breaking research. It is a testament to the clinical effectiveness of Beating the Blues that, following rigorous evaluation, researchers from the US Department of Defense have chosen to use it in this trial."
John Smith, Executive Director of Ultrasis, added:
"Ultrasis, and our partners at UPMC, are proud to be supporting this research project by helping to provide evidence-based treatment to serving military personnel and their families. We see this as a great opportunity to promote the benefits of Beating the Blues to the wider US healthcare market as well as offering a scalable solution to the many military bases in the USA."
-ENDS-
For further information contact:
Ultrasis plc Nigel Brabbins, CEO
| Tel: +44(0) 20 7535 2050 |
Strand Hanson Limited Stuart Faulkner / Liam Buswell
| Tel: +44(0) 20 7409 3494 |
JBP Public Relations | Tel: +44(0) 20 3267 0074 |
Liam Herbert
Editors Notes:
About the Deployment Health Clinical Center:
PDHealth provides a gateway to information on deployment health and healthcare for healthcare providers, service members, veterans, and their families. Further information about PDHealth can be found at www.pdhealth.mil.
STEPS UP is a study for soldiers experiencing problems related to post-traumatic stress disorder ("PTSD") and/or depression. Further information about the STEPS UP trial can be found at http://stepsup.rti.org/
The Department of Defense ("DoD") Deployment Health Clinical Center ("DHCC") supports the deployment health of the USA's Armed Services by providing direct care to service members and families while serving as a catalyst and resource center for the continuous improvement of deployment-related health care across the military.
About Ultrasis
Ultrasis is a healthcare company with core expertise in health, psychology, software development and programme management. The Company delivers computerised healthcare products to the NHS, the corporate sector and other healthcare providers in the UK and internationally.
Ultrasis was the first company to offer computerised products based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy ("CBT") and interactive multimedia and is the world leader in this field. The products help people tackle stress, anxiety and depression, and a full spectrum of related chronic conditions.
Beating the Blues is an eight-week, web-based treatment programme for mild and moderate depression based on CBT.
Following a rigorous examination by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence ("NICE"), Beating the Blues was approved by NICE in February 2006 for use in the National Health Service.
For more information on Ultrasis please visit www.ultrasis.com.