Introduction

Mental illnesses are medical illnesses. All mental illnesses increase the risk of physical illnesses, including obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and inflammatory illnesses. When these associated comorbidities are considered, the human and societal cost of inadequate mental healthcare is astronomical.

Every week, half a million Canadians don’t go to work due to poor mental health (MH). 70% of disability cost is related to MH. 65 days is the average length of mental health-related leave of absence. This is costing the Canadian economy $51B/year loss in GDP and this will only worsen post-COVID.

RAPIDS (Rapid Access to Pharmacological Information Delivery Service) will revolutionize the way mental health care is provided in Canada.

Diagnosing and treating mental illnesses early and fully will reduce human suffering, slow the progression of illness, reduce morbidity and mortality, lower the cost of care, and improve physical health.

The purpose of this guide is to provide an overview of the technical requirements for interoperability with the RAPIDS application.