I recently had the opportunity to speak with Jeremy Musher, M.D., the chief behavioral medical officer at Lifepoint Health and a member of the AHA Committee on Behavioral Health. During our discussion, we explored how hospitals and health systems can improve the delivery of behavioral health services and ensure they are fully integrated into patient-centered care.
One of the key challenges that Jeremy highlighted is access to behavioral health services, which can be limited due to a variety of factors, including stigma surrounding mental health issues and difficulties in securing adequate reimbursement for these services. To address these barriers, Jeremy suggested solutions such as utilizing telehealth services and enforcing laws that mandate mental health parity in insurance coverage. He also pointed out that insurers generally pay less for behavioral health services compared to other medical services.
In addition to accessibility challenges, Jeremy emphasized several measures that can be used to gauge success in the delivery of behavioral health care. These include bringing more resources to communities where they are lacking, minimizing the use of emergency rooms for boarding behavioral health patients, intervening with patients showing signs of behavioral health issues at an earlier stage, integrating physical and behavioral medicine, and increasing the utilization of telehealth services.
Overall, our conversation provided valuable insights into how hospitals and health systems can improve their approach to delivering high-quality behavioral health care. It’s clear that addressing barriers related to accessibility is crucial in order to ensure that patients receive the care they need when they need it. By implementing strategies such as telehealth services and enforcing laws that promote mental health parity in insurance coverage, we can work towards creating a more inclusive and accessible healthcare system for everyone.
