Virtual Behavioral Health Integration

Wake Forest University Health Sciences5,777 enrolled

Overview

The primary objective is to evaluate the effectiveness of the virtual behavioral health integration (VBHI) program compared to usual care, on reducing the total cost of care reimbursed from Medicare and value-based contracts within 90 days of a patient's primary care visit.

To enhance the care of patients seen in the primary care setting, Atrium Health has designed a virtual behavioral health integration program. A behavioral health care team comprised of licensed clinicians (Behavioral Health Professionals), health coaches, a consulting psychiatric pharmacist and psychiatric providers follow patients for up to 3 months or more depending on patient need after their primary care office visit. This virtual behavioral health integration (VBHI) program is currently available in 36 Atrium Health primary care practices providing support to over 200 providers and medical residents. The Behavioral health Service line is expanding the program to additional primary care practices. Atrium Health and the Carolinas Physician Alliance is interested in evaluating the effectiveness of the program on reducing the total cost of care.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Masking

SINGLE

Enrollment

5,777

Conditions

Depression Substance Use Disorder Anxiety

Interventions

Virtual Behavioral Health IntegrationBEHAVIORAL

The virtual behavioral health integration program, implemented in primary care settings, is a structured mental illness treatment program that includes both behavioral treatment and counseling components aimed at reducing cost of care, developing and sustaining adaptive coping strategies, and improving short term acute care utilization.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * 18 years of age or older * Primary care office visit * Have a Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and overall score \>=10 or Question 9 \>0 * Medicare or value-based contract associated with a patient in the past year at the time of the primary care visit. Exclusion Criteria: * A patient will contribute to the analysis once using their initial enrollment to either arm of the study. * No insurance claim for the index primary care visit in the data warehouse upon evaluation.

Locations (20)

Albermarle Medical Services

Albemarle, North Carolina, United States

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Cost of Care

Total cost of care reimbursed from Medicare and value-based contracts

Time frame: 90 days from a patient's primary care visit

Secondary Outcomes

Compare the 90-day acute care utilization rate after the index primary care visit

Does a patient have an inpatient, observation, or emergency department encounter after their primary care visit

Time frame: 90 days from a patient's primary care visit

Compare the 90-day primary care utilization rate after the index primary care visit

Does a patient have a primary care encounter after their primary care visit

Time frame: 90 days from a patient's primary care visit

pharmacy Cost of Care

Pharmacy related cost of care reimbursed from Medicare and value-based contracts

Time frame: 90 days from a patient's primary care visit

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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