AMA: Behavioral Health Integration Can Be Optimized Through Digital Tools

As providers take steps to figure out how to achieve strong behavioral health integration (BHI), a report published by the American Medical Association (AMA) has several suggestions for healthcare stakeholders, including improving the accuracy of diagnoses and expanding coverage.

During the last several decades, behavioral health conditions among Americans have worsened, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the report, there were four times as many drug overdose-related deaths in 2018 than in 1999.

Despite the challenges relating to behavioral health that have risen in recent years, digital tools can help increase access to this type of care, the report states.

The increased use of telehealth for mental healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic indicates that a large portion of the American population needs BHI, according to the AMA.

The new report describes the opportunities associated with digital tools, which included ensuring timely access to care.

The AMA stated three goals to advance BHI through digital tools as efficiently as possible.

These goals included defining opportunities and limitations with digital BHI, finding channels for stakeholders to use when working with BHI through telehealth, and representing the value of AMA’s Return on Health framework.

AMA’s Return on Health framework is a policy that aims to advance BHI adoption and defines the goal of generating value through virtual care.

The various stakeholders who can advance digitally-enabled BHI include physicians, health plans, federal and state policymakers, employers, and behavioral health companies.

Some of the BHI solutions suggested in the report include providers incorporating digital health solutions into standard workflows to increase behavioral health diagnoses and treatment rates and addressing care delivery by implementing technologies that facilitate care coordination.

Health plans could widely expand coverage, provide more affordable care, and increase access. They are also known for playing a technical support role, helping primary care practices integrate behavioral healthcare.  

Federal and state policymakers could also help improve affordability and access, as well as spread awareness and encourage the adoption of services.

Through digital services, employers would advance behavioral healthcare efficiently. They could enhance care coordination by contracting with primary care specialists that offer BHI.

Behavioral health companies could generate clinical and economic evidence for digitally enabled BHI by working with other stakeholders.

In previous cases, using telehealth to care for mental health conditions has proven beneficial. For example, a study explains how patients with PTSD or bipolar disorder experienced various benefits following telehealth use. Using methods involving both team and one on one communication, patients had a higher level of engagement in their care as compared to before.