RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Patient Perceptions of Benefits and Barriers to Behavioral Health Care Integrated in Primary Care
JF The Annals of Family Medicine
JO Ann Fam Med
FD American Academy of Family Physicians
SP 5142
DO 10.1370/afm.22.s1.5142
VO 21
IS Supplement 3
A1 Holtrop, Jodi Summers
A1 Eskew, Alisha
A1 Gurfinkel, Dennis
A1 Kreisel, Carlee
A1 Owen, Vanessa
A1 BrownLevey, Shandra
A1 Hosokawa, Patrick
A1 Fernald, Douglas
A1 Tolle, Lauren
A1 Calderone, Jacqueline
A1 Gritz, Mark
A1 Shore, Jay
YR 2023
UL http://www.annfammed.org/content/21/Supplement_3/5142.abstract
AB Context: Integrated behavioral health (IBH) care in primary care has been known to provide many benefits to patients. Psychologists and tele-psychiatry consults were part of IBH.Objective: This portion of the study sought to understand the perceptions of patients actively participating in IBH: How does it work for them? What is meaningful about this structure? What has their experience been?Setting: Seven primary care practices in one Colorado health system.Population Studied: Patients presenting for a BH or primary care visit during randomly selected observation visit days.Study Design and Analysis: Quantitative (survey; descriptive statistics), qualitative (interviews; thematic analysis) and mixed methods (convergent design integration using comparison) were used to analyze the results.Instruments/ Outcome Measures: Online surveys through REDCap assessed patient satisfaction with the program. Semi-structured interview guide assessed care experience, reported benefits and challenges, and specific characteristics of the program.Results: Fifty-four and 38 patients completed a survey and interview, respectively, out of 90 patients approached by clinicians. Survey respondents reported overly positive impressions of the program: 84% somewhat/strongly agreed to preferring receiving BH at their clinic, 80% somewhat/strongly agreed their wellness/mental health was better managed because of BH, and 80% somewhat/strongly agreed they were learning skills needed to deal with their problems. However, only 53% somewhat/strongly agreed that they would be less likely to receive services without IBH and 96% somewhat/strongly agreed that they would follow through with BH referrals outside their clinic. Interviewees described receiving BH at their primary care office greatly reduced barriers to receiving care (e.g., cost/insurance, difficulty finding providers, stigma) and improved the care they received by supporting a whole-person orientation to health by their care team. Barriers described focused primarily on how the program structure of the limited number of total visits was sometimes a poor match for completing all the needs of patients. Results revealed a high degree of convergence across survey and interview responses.Conclusions: IBH greatly reduced barriers to receiving BH care and was seen in a positive light by almost all respondents. Short term IBH programs should consider their transition plans for patients needing longer term BH services.