Chasing the curve
Program description of the Geisinger primary care behavioral health virtual first response to Covid-19
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21833849 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Sean M O’Dell (0000-0002-2254-0003, Geisinger Health System, corresponding author), Shelley J Hosterman (0000-0002-2992-0236, Geisinger Health System), Monika R Parikh (0000-0001-8004-3139, Geisinger Health System), Joel B Winnick (0000-0002-0139-6321, Geisinger Health System), Tawnya J Meadows (0000-0002-8206-263X, Geisinger Health System) |
| Year | 2021 |
| Volume | 45 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 95-106 |
| Publication date | 2021-04-01 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Rural Mental Health (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1935-942X • E-ISSN: 2163-8969 |
| Publisher | American Psychological Association (APA) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1037/rmh0000180 |
| OpenAlex | W4243327772 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 12 |
Objective: In response to the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, an initiative to rapidly transition to a telebehavioral health (TBH) service delivery model was developed to maintain access to primary care behavioral health (PCBH) services at Geisinger across a wide, predominantly rural, geographic range.Methods: In line with the "Virtual First" approach employed by the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, we describe how we prepared for and implemented TBH services while facilitating communication and collaboration among PCBH providers, staff, and trainees, and supported our Geisinger colleagues.Results: We present operational and clinical outcomes of our approach through June 2020, as well as provider surveys of acceptability of the TBH platform used.We found that we were able to attain or surpass comparable patient access and utilization implementing TBH services compared with inperson services over the last two years.We did not observe an increase in proportion of patients with Depression and Anxiety diagnoses during the pandemic.The TBH platform was acceptable overall based on provider ratings.Conclusion: Our Virtual First approach enabled us to maintain access and utilization of PCBH services during a time of widespread uncertainty and vulnerability.We conclude with a discussion of the limitations of the approach used as well as identified next steps in navigating the "new normal" of behavioral healthcare in the age of COVID-19
Family medicine · Medical emergency · Primary care · COVID-19 and Mental Health · Medicine · Psychology · Internal Medicine
Considering inequalities in the school closure response to Covid-19
Epidemiology of Covid-19 Among Children in China
Mental health considerations for children quarantined because of Covid-19
Early Transmission Dynamics in Wuhan, China, of Novel Coronavirus–Infected Pneumonia
The psychological impact of the Covid-19 epidemic on college students in China
Mental Health and the Covid-19 Pandemic
Evaluating the prevalence of child psychosocial concerns in rural primary care
The Core 4 Clinical Model
A phenomenological study of clinicians’ perspectives on barriers to rural mental health care
Clinician telehealth attitudes in a rural community mental health center setting
On the frontier
| Highly cited | No |
|---|