Evidence supports that integrated behavioral health care improves patient outcomes. Colocation, where health and behavioral health providers work in the same physical space, is a key element of integration, but national rates of colocation are unknown. This article establishes national colocation rates and analyzes variation by primary care provider (PCP) type, practice size, rural/urban setting,…
The current opioid crisis in the United States is a recognized national health emergency. The number of opioid-related deaths has more than quadrupled since 1999. Over 42,000 individuals died from opioid use in 2016 alone. To combat this epidemic, primary care providers are expanding clients’ access to care, particularly to medication-assisted treatment (MAT) programs, also…
Increasing awareness of the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) has prompted health systems to implement strategies to screen for and address patient SDOH. With the increased awareness comes the question of what workforce is needed to implement SDOH screening and related interventions? To answer, this research must be conducted for which healthcare workers screen for…
The use of office-based opioid treatment (OBOT) programs has increased in recent years and requires integrated teams of professionals with different kinds of expertise working together. These care teams present opportunities for interprofessional training. This article describes a study that conducted interviews with health professionals on OBOT teams to examine the provider composition of these…
Despite efforts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid expansion has increased access to primary care, as well as the availability of behavioral health services, including treatment for both mental health and substance use disorders. However, increasing the availability of health and behavioral health services requires an increase in providers. Several federal programs support training…
Integrated care has become increasingly common in recent years and has helped provide patients with care for a wide variety of health needs. These integrated approaches tend to be more complex and require new ways of collecting data to measure their effectiveness. Electronic health records (EHR) present a potential solution. This article describes the development…
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, so does the levels of stress, burden, and burnout of health care workers. Researchers at the Carolina Health Workforce Research Center conducted a scoping review of published literature on burnout interventions implemented for healthcare workers during COVID-19, as well as expert interviews with healthcare administrators involved in COVID-19 burnout response…
Health providers often attempt to capture social determinants of health (SDOH) in electronic health records (EHR) and use these data to adjust care plans. Standardizing SDOH documentation in the EHR between members of the health workforce may help ensure that patients’ social risk factors, including food and housing insecurity, are addressed. This article assesses how…
Studies have shown that integrated behavioral health (IBH) is an important model for reducing costs and improving patient outcomes, but issues with financing this method of care have mitigated implementation efforts. Psychiatric collaborative care management (CoCM) and behavioral health integration (BHI) codes allow for the financing of certain IBH services. This brief describes a study…
Low wage workers such as janitors and food service workers are essential for ensuring that hospital settings are able to function. These workers experience similar pandemic-related stressors as physicians and nurses, but their experiences and needs are less likely to be visible. This article describes a study that conducted interviews with low wage workers to…
