What strategies successfully integrate behavioral health care with primary care?

Challenge

Behavioral and physical health conditions are often connected and increase the likelihood of co-occurring disorders, worsening symptoms, and complicating treatment. Yet, these conditions are often treated separately, as the current health care system silos behavioral health and medical services. Integrating behavioral health care with primary care, bringing these services together through strong referral relationships or colocation, can increase access to treatment and improve patient outcomes.

To meet this need, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has established the Academy for Integrating Behavioral Health and Primary Care (AHRQ Academy), a national coordinating center disseminating news, resources, and research about integration. AHRQ selected Westat for this cycle to develop, enhance, and support this online portal.

Solution

Westat has developed products to advance behavioral health integration (BHI) with primary care, including:

• A founding and updated lexicon: A set of concepts and definitions that provide a practical definition of BHI
• A continuously updated literature collection: A searchable database of grey and peer-reviewed literature related to BHI
• Two playbooks: Playbooks that provide guidance to providers interested in (1) BHI and (2) implementing medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) treatment into primary care or other ambulatory care settings; both playbooks will be updated in the current cycle
• A set of competencies and stories: Examples of successful, professional best practices; to be updated in the current cycle
• Environmental scan: Information on the challenges and strategies on implementing MOUD; to be updated in the current cycle
• Tools and resources collection: Tools and resources related to screening for and treating substance use disorders in primary care
• A series of topic briefs: Topic briefs on emerging areas of BHI with executable insight for primary care providers

Results

By sharing practical strategies and lessons learned from those in the field, the work of the AHRQ Academy increases access to and improves the quality of evidence-based integrated behavioral care.