Mental health concerns are rising, and primary care providers are carrying more of the burden than ever before. Nurse practitioners and family physicians are often a patient’s first, and sometimes only, point of contact, yet they face a landscape with limited tools, significant diagnostic complexity, and high rates of misdiagnosis when dealing with mental health. In this environment, clinical decision support isn’t just helpful: it’s essential.
For Dawn Gammon, a nurse practitioner with TELUS Health Virtual Care, Rapids has become exactly that: a trusted, science-based companion that strengthens her ability to diagnose accurately, tailor treatment plans, and help patients understand their mental health with confidence and clarity.
A career built on mental health advocacy
Dawn’s path has taken her through some of the most demanding environments in healthcare. She began her career at London Health Sciences Centre’s emergency department, the primary entry point for mental health patients in Southwestern Ontario. Later, she served as a repatriation nurse practitioner at the Canadian Forces Base Edmonton, where she deepened her expertise in psychiatric conditions such as PTSD.
She also contributed to a transformative initiative with Covenant Health, aimed at reducing antipsychotic medications in geriatric dementia patients, a project that saw usage drop from 66% to just 2%. And, as a mental health first aid instructor for the Mental Health Commission of Canada, she taught wellness and self-care techniques to improve the mental health of clients.
Despite her extensive background, Dawn is candid about how much Rapids has added to her practice. “Even with all my experience in mental health,” she says, “Rapids taught me most of what I need to know to fully support my patients.”
Why a tool like Rapids is so critical
Misdiagnosis rates in primary care for psychiatric conditions range between 66% and 98%. Dawn sees this firsthand.
“I always ask patients whether they’ve ever been given a mental health diagnosis,” she says. “Ninety percent say no — yet many are already on mental health medications to alleviate symptoms with no understanding of their condition.”
When Dawn explains that Rapids will help guide her diagnostic and treatment decisions, patients are eager to participate. “No one has declined. People want to understand what they’re experiencing. They want a diagnosis.”
A faster, clearer path to insight
The Rapids referral process is streamlined: Dawn and her patient complete the assessment together in 10 minutes. Rapids analyzes the patient’s medical history and validated psychiatric questionnaires to generate a comprehensive report within days.
Each report provides:
– Diagnostic guidance aligned with DSM-5-TR criteria
– Evidence-based treatment recommendations, including medication options and alternatives often covered by benefits plans
– Medication-specific information sheets to support patient understanding
– Non-pharmacological strategies, from psychotherapy options to mindfulness, nutrition, and supplements
“My patients love the stepped recommendations,” Dawn says. “It helps them stay on track and gives them something they can revisit anytime. Having the report actually makes many of them strive to do better.”
Improved follow-up and more personal care
Monitoring progress becomes more precise with Rapids. Patients complete clinical questionnaires before starting medication and again before each visit while titrating. The ongoing scores create space for deeper conversations.
“We talk about the results every visit,” Dawn explains. “Life is dynamic. The scores help highlight what’s really going on — good or bad. One patient’s anxiety spike turned out to be excitement about his first date.”
Changing the way mental health is assessed
Before Rapids, Dawn followed the traditional approach: multiple assessments across multiple visits, often taking days before reaching a diagnosis. Rapids has transformed that experience.
“Now, a full assessment takes 15 minutes,” she says. “With Rapids, we have more guidance and information, enabling us to better support mental health care and recognize conditions like bipolar disorder.”
She recalls a patient who came in for insomnia, a symptom often treated quickly with hypnotics. Rapids helped identify underlying mental health needs, leading to a personalized plan. “Her insomnia improved,” Dawn says. “She’s off Zopiclone entirely.”
A better way forward for mental health care
Early detection and treatment of mental illness is possible, and tools like Rapids are making that future a reality. Grounded in science, informed by expert consensus, and designed for real-world primary care, Rapids supports evidence-based psychiatric care, encourages early, accurate diagnosis, improves clinician knowledge, helps ensure timely access to care and improves clinician confidence in caring for patients’ mental health.