United Hospital Fund and The New York State Health Foundation Release Report on Integrating Behavioral Care Into Primary Care
Small primary care practices participating in a project to offer behavioral health services are successfully identifying people at risk for depression. Those practices now also view routine screening for depression as equal to checking patients’ vital signs and blood pressure, according to a report issued today by United Hospital Fund (UHF).
One in five New Yorkers suffer from common mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety, which have a direct impact on physical health. However, some 80 percent of patients in a primary care practice who have behavioral health issues go undiagnosed or undertreated. Integrating mental health services into primary care practices provides a promising gateway to reach these patients, and help them get the care they need.
The report, Advancing Behavioral Health Integration for Small Primary Care Practices: Progress, Emerging Themes, and Policy Considerations, documents progress to date in a project, launched in 2016 by UHF and the New York State Health Foundation (NYSHealth), helping primary care providers pilot-test a framework to integrate behavioral health care into their practices. The report examines the progress of 11 small New York practices participating in the project—six in New York City and five upstate...