How Natural Language Processing Can Be Applied to Dual Diagnoses

This session was originally recorded for the virtual attendees of the 2023 Power Up! Interhab Conference.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer just a plot device in the movies. Natural language processing (NLP) is the use of software to process, analyze, and understand written data – much like the plans and notes we collect on the people we support. This form of AI is the future of what can be harnessed in home and community-based services to extract and quantify written words and study subjective information.

The term dual diagnosis covers individuals who have an intellectual and developmental disability in addition to a co-occurring mental health disorder. It is estimated that up to 40% of people with intellectual and development disabilities also experience mental health conditions. Individuals with dual diagnosis face unique challenges in receiving treatment, exacerbated by both a lack of training for clinicians and limited understanding about efficacious treatment options. During this session, attendees will learn how machine learning can be used to improve outcomes and reduce costs by predicting and preventing negative consequences before they can occur.

This will be the trend of the future, but by the end of our session today, attendees can expect to: 

• Understand the basics of sentiment analysis and natural language processing and how it can be applied for individuals with dual diagnoses 
• Explore real use cases from a Community Developmental Disability Organization (CDDO) 
• Understand how to improve lives and outcomes through futuristic technologies

Presenters:

• Doug Golub, President, MediSked
• Heather Pace, Service Access Manager, Sedgwick County Developmental Disability Organization (SCDDO)