Koa Health external ethics audit shows 24% improvement

Koa Health has announced that the results of its 2022-2023 external ethics audit show a 24% improvement in comparison to the year before.

The company,  a provider of digital-first mental healthcare, regularly submits its products to ethics audits in order to ensure compliance and progress, with the results being published on the Koa Health website. Its latest audit was conducted by Eticas, an industry leader in ethics oversight and algorithm auditing.

The topic of ethics is an important one to consumers, who want reassurance that not only does the solution or tool they’re using work effectively but also that it is committed to ethics surrounding data usage and bias. Therefore, digital solutions need to be accessible, free from any bias and trustworthy.

David Whewell, chief technology and data officer and head of ethics, Koa Health, said: “When supporting people’s mental health and handling their sensitive, personal data, earning and maintaining their trust is essential.

“For digital mental health providers, that means treating data securely and ethically and ensuring your offering is accessible, bias-free and inclusive.

“We welcome the results of Eticas’ audit and will continue our programme of continuous improvement around our products, their inclusivity and our duty of care.”

The results from the 2022-2023 audit found a 24% improvement, raising the score for Koa Health’s flagship mental wellbeing app, Koa Foundations. The app achieved perfect ratings in several categories, including reduction of bias in measurement and data visualisation.

In addition, improvements were evident across many other categories. Based on recommendations by Eticas, Koa Health has now created an action plan to ensure it continues to improve year-on-year.

Dr Gemma Galdon, CEO and founder at Eticas, said: “Eticas is committed to helping digital mental health providers like Koa Health ensure that the technology behind their solutions is not only effective but also ethical.

“Regular audits and oversight help companies to ensure algorithms effectively limit common biases and the secure and ethical treatment of user data. As these systems increasingly influence and form a part of our lives, this is more necessary than ever before.”

Last May a study of Koa Health’s machine learning algorithm determined it could accurately predict more than half of mental health crises 28 days in advance.