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Power on: The rapid transition of a large interdisciplinary behavioral health department to telemental health during the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a rapid transition to telemental health (TMH) for behavioral health services in the behavioral health department of a large integrated primary care organization. Although the COVID-19 pandemic was the initial trigger for rapid organizational change, sys...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Harding, S.L., Eyllon, M., Twigden, A., Hogan, A., Barry, D., Mirsky, J.E., Barnes, B., Nordberg, S.
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Elsevier Inc. 2022
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8866964/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35229056
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.xjep.2022.100506
Descripción
Sumario:BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a rapid transition to telemental health (TMH) for behavioral health services in the behavioral health department of a large integrated primary care organization. Although the COVID-19 pandemic was the initial trigger for rapid organizational change, systems were developed with a focus on longer term scalability and sustainability. METHODS: This paper discusses the process of organizational change within our healthcare delivery system using the Strengths, Opportunities, Aspirations, and Results (SOAR) framework. Within this framework a structured mixed methods survey of 38 clinicians representing 5 different disciplines was conducted. Internal and survey data were analyzed to evaluate and guide the iterative change process. RESULTS: The majority of BH clinicians reported that they were as or more effective with TMH. The transition to TMH in our organization resulted in increased access to care, with a 10.3% increase in BH visit completions. The transition to TMH may benefit clinician work-life balance, but requires resources to support clinical, technological, and communication/teamwork changes. IMPLICATIONS/CONCLUSIONS: TMH is a feasible treatment modality for integrated care settings. It is cost-effective and well-accepted by clinicians. The SOAR framework can be used to guide rapid organizational change and ongoing QI processes.