Immediate Access to Mental Health Services: A Solution That Enhances Patient Care and Boosts Clinic Revenue
In today’s healthcare landscape, primary care providers (PCPs) play a crucial role in identifying and addressing mental health concerns. However, mental health issues can be time-consuming and overwhelming for busy providers to manage alongside their patients' physical health needs. Wellness Connection offers an innovative solution: patients’ mental health is screened through the EMPWR app, and when an issue is identified, the patient is quickly enrolled with a collaborative care team. This approach not only gets patients into mental health care swiftly but also removes the burden of managing mental illness from the PCP.
Streamlining Mental and Physical Health Monitoring with the EMPWR App
By using the EMPWR app, patients’ mental and physical health is monitored in real time between appointments. These automated assessments provide PCPs with up-to-date data, enabling early identification of mental health conditions and physical health changes, which is crucial for timely intervention and comprehensive care. The app screens patients for common mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, and substance use disorders, while also monitoring physical health metrics like blood pressure, sleep patterns, and activity levels.
These screenings and real-time monitoring allow PCPs to quickly identify patients who need mental or physical health support, seamlessly integrating care into a patient’s health records and routine.
Collaborative Care Model: Getting Patients Into Treatment Quickly
Once a mental health issue is identified through the EMPWR app, the Collaborative Care Model (CoCM) is activated. Patients are promptly enrolled with a collaborative care team that includes a behavioral health care manager (BHCM), a therapist, and a consulting psychiatrist. This team works closely with the PCP to ensure that the patient receives appropriate and timely mental health care, without placing additional strain on the provider.
The BHCM coordinates the patient’s mental health treatment, whether it involves therapy, medication management, or other interventions, allowing the PCP to focus on managing the patient’s physical health. The collaborative team regularly reviews the patient’s progress and adjusts treatment plans as needed, ensuring continuous, comprehensive care.
Financial Benefits for Your Clinic
One of the key advantages of using the EMPWR app and the Collaborative Care Model is that they are covered by most insurance plans, including Medicare. This allows clinics to generate additional revenue through billable CoCM services, such as care coordination and regular follow-ups.
By integrating mental health care services, clinics can open new revenue streams without the need for additional staff or infrastructure. Remote monitoring through the EMPWR app also allows clinics to bill for services in between appointments, further maximizing revenue potential.
Improving Patient Physical Health
Mental and physical health are deeply intertwined. When mental health issues go untreated, they can exacerbate chronic conditions like hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease. By using the EMPWR app to identify mental health concerns early and addressing them through the Collaborative Care Model, patients are better equipped to manage their physical health.
Research has shown that when patients receive mental health treatment alongside primary care, they are more likely to adhere to medication, attend follow-up appointments, and engage in healthy behaviors like exercising and eating well. This ultimately leads to better physical health outcomes, reduced hospitalizations, and a lower overall cost of care.
Enhancing PCP Job Satisfaction
Primary care providers often feel the strain of managing patients with untreated mental health issues. They may spend extra time trying to address mental health concerns during appointments, leading to increased stress and burnout. With the Collaborative Care Model, PCPs are no longer burdened with managing mental health issues. They have a team of professionals, including a behavioral health care manager, a therapist, and a psychiatrist, who will take over managing the patient's mental health.
This team-based approach reduces the time and stress involved in managing complex mental health cases, allowing PCPs to focus on what they do best—managing their patients’ physical health. Providers report higher job satisfaction knowing that their patients are receiving high-quality mental health treatment.
Conclusion
Wellness Connection’s EMPWR app and the Collaborative Care Model provide primary care clinics with a simple, effective way to monitor mental and physical health in real time and get patients into treatment quickly. This integrated approach not only improves patient outcomes by addressing mental and physical health holistically but also increases clinic revenue through insurance reimbursement. By lightening the burden of managing mental health conditions, PCPs can enjoy greater job satisfaction while improving the quality of care they provide.
Interested in learning more?
Schedule an online meeting with Wellness Connection to explore how your clinic can integrate mental health care using the EMPWR app:
Schedule a Meeting (https://meetings.hubspot.com/sharif-mubarak?uuid=b9a7e0b7-bb9d-4198-b6b3-702994f0ac48).
References
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2. Archer, J., Bower, P., Gilbody, S., Lovell, K., Richards, D., Gask, L., Dickens, C., & Coventry, P. (2012). Collaborative care for depression and anxiety problems. *Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews*. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD006525.pub2
3. Kroenke, K., & Unützer, J. (2017). Closing the false divide: Integrating mental health services into primary care. *JAMA*, 317(8), 753-754. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2017.0433
4. Katon, W. J., Lin, E. H. B., & Kroenke, K. (2011). The association of depression and anxiety with medical symptom burden in patients with chronic medical illness. *General Hospital Psychiatry*, 33(4), 320-326. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2011.05.005
5. Firth, J., Siddiqi, N., Koyanagi, A., Siskind, D., Rosenbaum, S., Galletly, C., Allan, S., Caneo, C., Carney, R., Carvalho, A. F., Chatterton, M. L., Correll, C. U., Curtis, J., Gaughran, F., Heald, A., Husain, M. I., Lundin, A., Maj, M., McGorry, P. D., & Solmi, M. (2019). The Lancet Psychiatry Commission: a blueprint for protecting physical health in people with mental illness. *The Lancet Psychiatry*, 6(8), 675–712. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(19)30132-4
