The Article in Brief

Primary Care After Psychiatric Crisis: A Qualitative Analysis

Kim S. Griswold, MD, MPH , and colleagues

Background Primary care is of value to patients with mental health conditions, but getting connected to a primary care doctor may be difficult for patients with serious mental illness who are emerging from psychiatric crisis. The goals of this study were (1) to determine whether care managers (who coordinate medical care and link patients to necessary resources) improve patients' access to primary care, and (2) to understand patients' experiences with health care after a psychiatric crisis.

What This Study Found Among patients who have experienced a psychiatric crisis, those assigned a care manager have easier access to primary care and feel it is of benefit to them compared with those who are not. Seventy-one percent of those with a care manager report that having someone to assist them in making primary care connections is beneficial. Additionally, at 6 months, patients with a care manager report better physical and mental function than their counterparts. At 1 year, however, differences in physical function are no longer significant.

Implications

• Care management is effective in helping patients gain access to primary care after a psychiatric crisis and, for some, it makes the difference between finding a regular doctor or going without care.