MAHEC Integrated Care

Integrated Care Video:

 Putting IC into Practice (Flash file)

Why Integrate Care?
• Primary care setting is often the first and most trusted place people will go with health issues
• Patients prefer to get their mental health needs taken care of by their primary care physician (PCP).
• Cost effectiveness in service delivery
• Care plan often has medical and psychosocial elements.
• The primary care setting is often the primary locus of treatment for MH issues (e.g. depression, anxiety).
• Referral out is often a poor alternative and will become harder to access.
• PCP’s skills increase as Mental Health Provider becomes a part of overall team.
• Better adherence and outcomes, and increased satisfaction.
• Long-term benefits for all stakeholders.

What does the Research Say?
• Surgeon General Report says that 20% of the population has a mental health diagnosis
• National rate of depression is 16%
• 80% of clients prefer to get their behavioral health services from their regular medical provider
• Surgeon General report says 15% of US adult population use mental health services in any given year
• 6-10% of pts in primary practice have major depression
• 40-50% of people who get alcohol, drug or mental health treatment get it at primary care
• Recent study (Simon, 1992) suggests that on average, primary care patients with even mild levels of depression use two times more healthcare services annually than their non-depressed counterparts
• Nearly 70% of all healthcare visits have primarily a psychosocial basis ( Fries, et. Al 1993, Shapiro et al., 1985)
• 50% of mental healthcare is delivered solely by primary care physicians
• 67% of all psychopharmacological drugs are prescribed by primary care physicians
• 90% of the 10 most common complaints in primary care setting have no organic basis
• 50-70% or all primary care visits are primarily for psychosocial concerns
• Total economic cost of depression has been estimated at more than $83 billion/year in the USA