Even with the innovations and efforts over the past few decades, Ontrak Health reviews in the following article that the US healthcare system isn’t equipped to deal with all behavioral health needs effectively. And unfortunately, the problems are becoming more rampant with each passing day.
Behavioral health conditions have increased by 300% since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Ontrak Health Chief Medical Officer, Judy Feld, Md, MPH, MMM. A mind-boggling 41% of adults in the country have reported symptoms of depressive disorder and/or anxiety, and these untreated needs drive both monetary and social costs.
Treating behavioral health concerns like anxiety, substance use disorder, and depression helps reduce overall claims costs and promotes sustainable outcomes. But to achieve this, healthcare systems must use a strategic and multi-faceted approach, which comes with challenges.
Everything Holding the US Back from Meeting Behavioral Health Needs
The experts at Ontrak Health help individuals get behavioral health treatment. In doing so, they’ve established several obstacles that prevent access.
Firstly, Ontrak Health reviews that too many people are being referred to specialists. PCPs generally don’t have the training or time to provide effective behavioral health treatment. Thus, individuals are too often referred to specialists, even if they don’t require that care level.
Secondly, there’s a distinct lack of specialists in the industry. Traditional mental healthcare is one thing, but there are far fewer professionals who specialize in behavioral treatment. Naturally, the lack of staff is compounded by the ever-increasing referral rates.
Finally, there isn’t enough specialist oversight. In most practices, the infrastructure to ensure quality treatment isn’t in place. Case managers play a significant role, but they simply can’t keep up with the referral volumes.
From the above, it will come as no surprise to most that people can wait months before they can obtain an appointment.
On top of that, such specialists tend to operate inside private practices that aren’t covered by individuals’ health insurance plans. And as the cost of living keeps skyrocketing, people are finding it even harder to fund the care they need.
Could Collaborative Care Be the Answer?
According to Ontrak Health reviews, the use of the CCM (collaborative care model) has boosted in the past ten years. They’re expertly crafted to deliver mental and behavioral healthcare within the primary physician environment. The PCP becomes the go-to care provider, with other professionals playing supporting parts.
CCM has proven outcomes, but it’s fairly tricky to scale due to the following hurdles:
- Many states don’t provide reimbursement in such a way that contributes to CCM.
- The model puts pressure on already-burdened PCP settings.
- Most health systems don’t have the infrastructure to execute CCM effectively.
So, while the collaborative care model is promising, it’s not broadly used because of the above.
PCPs Require Support: This is the Road to the Future
The only sustainable road to addressing behavioral health needs is to provide care without relying solely on specialists.
Advocates suggest primary care training should start including behavioral health, ultimately allowing PCPs to provide more complete services to their patients.
After all, many behavioral health conditions can be effectively treated in primary care settings, provided offices have the proper institutional and financial support.
Working toward a value-based car model is the most sensical way forward. PCPs are already stretched far too thin, so they cannot deal with another burden without effective structuring and incentivizing to provide behavioral health treatment.
That said, primary care professionals can’t be expected to restructure themselves.
Care Coaches Will Begin Paving the Way Forward
Ontrak Health reviews that effective behavioral health treatment begins with care coaches. Such professionals specialize in whole-person care, ensuring they can do more heavy lifting without higher costs.
Coaches act as PCPs’ support, keeping individuals on track with their treatment plans through personalized guidance and frequent follow-ups. One-to-one engagement and human-centric support are the keys to unlocking better outcomes for those suffering from behavioral health needs.
Of course, it’s challenging to offer this intense level of engagement, especially considering the current demands of the primary care role and the general structure of these settings.
So, providers like Ontrak Health are offering AI-powered analytics and hands-on coaching to ensure individuals get the behavioral health treatment they need to be their best selves. It’s the way forward.
