Psych CASC / OSCE · Public and community psychiatry
The patient who brought the app, the chatbot and the amber flag — CASC digital psychiatry station
FRANZCP/MRCPsych-style station: respond to a patient's questions about an AI risk flag, a self-sourced mental health app and an LLM chatbot, while completing a safe remote assessment and establishing a crisis pathway to a human. Communication, risk and digital literacy in one station.
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Target exams
The first ninety seconds — the set-up that is itself a mark
Do this before anything clinical, every remote consultation. Confirm his physical location, who else is within earshot, a call-back number that works if the connection drops, and which emergency service covers that address. Say why you are asking: "If we get cut off while we're talking about something serious, I want to already know how to reach you."[1][2]
Then notice the car. A consultation from a work car park is not a private space. Offer to reschedule to somewhere private, or to continue by phone from a quieter spot — and note that lack of a private space is one of the four digital-access barriers, not a sign of poor engagement.[19]
You have read the opening of this CASC / OSCE. The complete unit — every section and its primary-source references — is part of the Psychiatry Fellowship fellowship atlas.
References20Show ledgerHide ledger
- [1]Torous J, et al. The evolving field of digital mental health: current evidence and implementation issues for smartphone apps, generative artificial intelligence, and virtual reality World Psychiatry, 2025.PMID 40371757
- [2]Fernandez E, et al. Live psychotherapy by video versus in-person: A meta-analysis of efficacy and its relationship to types and targets of treatment Clin Psychol Psychother, 2021.PMID 33826190
- [3]Andersson G, et al. Guided Internet-based vs. face-to-face cognitive behavior therapy for psychiatric and somatic disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis World Psychiatry, 2014.PMID 25273302
- [4]Karyotaki E, et al. Internet-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Depression: A Systematic Review and Individual Patient Data Network Meta-analysis JAMA Psychiatry, 2021.PMID 33471111
- [5]Erbe D, et al. Blending Face-to-Face and Internet-Based Interventions for the Treatment of Mental Disorders in Adults: Systematic Review J Med Internet Res, 2017.PMID 28916506
- [6]Linardon J, et al. The efficacy of app-supported smartphone interventions for mental health problems: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials World Psychiatry, 2019.PMID 31496095
- [7]Baumel A, et al. Objective User Engagement With Mental Health Apps: Systematic Search and Panel-Based Usage Analysis J Med Internet Res, 2019.PMID 31573916
- [8]Lagan S, et al. Mental Health App Evaluation: Updating the American Psychiatric Association's Framework Through a Stakeholder-Engaged Workshop Psychiatr Serv, 2021.PMID 33882716
- [9]Larsen ME, et al. Using science to sell apps: Evaluation of mental health app store quality claims NPJ Digit Med, 2019.PMID 31304366
- [10]Huckvale K, et al. Assessment of the Data Sharing and Privacy Practices of Smartphone Apps for Depression and Smoking Cessation JAMA Netw Open, 2019.PMID 31002321
- [11]Insel TR Digital Phenotyping: Technology for a New Science of Behavior JAMA, 2017.PMID 28973224
- [12]Adler DA, et al. Predicting Early Warning Signs of Psychotic Relapse From Passive Sensing Data: An Approach Using Encoder-Decoder Neural Networks JMIR Mhealth Uhealth, 2020.PMID 32865506
- [13]Chekroud AM, et al. The promise of machine learning in predicting treatment outcomes in psychiatry World Psychiatry, 2021.PMID 34002503
- [14]Belsher BE, et al. Prediction Models for Suicide Attempts and Deaths: A Systematic Review and Simulation JAMA Psychiatry, 2019.PMID 30865249
- [15]Large M, et al. Meta-Analysis of Longitudinal Cohort Studies of Suicide Risk Assessment among Psychiatric Patients: Heterogeneity in Results and Lack of Improvement over Time PLoS One, 2016.PMID 27285387
- [16]Obermeyer Z, et al. Dissecting racial bias in an algorithm used to manage the health of populations Science, 2019.PMID 31649194
- [17]Zhang Q, et al. Generative AI Mental Health Chatbots as Therapeutic Tools: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Their Role in Reducing Mental Health Issues J Med Internet Res, 2025.PMID 41401240
- [18]Blease C, et al. ChatGPT and mental healthcare: balancing benefits with risks of harms BMJ Ment Health, 2023.PMID 37949485
- [19]Spanakis P, et al. The digital divide in people with severe mental illness: lessons learned and challenges lying ahead Br J Psychiatry, 2025.PMID 40114499
- [20]Parker L, et al. The "Hot Potato" of Mental Health App Regulation: A Critical Case Study of the Australian Policy Arena Int J Health Policy Manag, 2019.PMID 30980633