Is your organization’s mental health model a silo?
My comprehensive care lessons learned.
The concept of integrated care, specifically mental and medical health is not new. The “bio-psycho-social” model was first introduced in 1977 by psychiatrist Dr. George Engel and subsequently memorialized in the multiaxial assessment and diagnostic lexicon used now by all mental health professionals. It was a comprehensive view of the individual acknowledging the medical, developmental, mental, and psychosocial determinants of health along with a global assessment of function. Medical disciplines also recognized the importance of treating the "whole person” referring to it as “Comprehensive Care” and or “Comprehensive Care management”.
Most recently CMS has called for comprehensive care and a comprehensive care management plan as part of their focus on chronic care management. No one disagrees with this approach and there’s evidence to show it results in improved patient outcomes and reduced cost. There have been integrated models deployed to include co-location of services, joint rounding on complex patients, and CMS funding for collaborative care. However, there has not been widespread acceptance of these methods and have suffered from the chronic problem of access to psychiatrists and other mental health professionals.
Is your MCO/health plan truly integrated?
Simple access to BH services does not constitute integrated care. How does your MCO/health plan measure up with regard to comprehensive care management?
Here are my top 5 lessons learned on how to improve the integration of medical and behavioral services in your organization and actualizing comprehensive care.
Manage the patient, not the benefit.
Medical and MH leadership/Team Approach
Actionable Data
Disciplined solutions
Population/Community-based approach
Guardiant Health, a chronic care management solution company, conducts an extensive comprehensive, “whole person” assessment of its members using clinical, claims, and event data along with AI concepts to build a dynamic care plan. This dynamic care plan is proactive, sharing pertinent health information with a member’s medical and BH team in real-time, keeping members healthier, more independent, and at a lower cost.
