Patient Engagement January 7, 2020
Integrating behavioral health services seamlessly into primary care can be a challenge, yet doing so successfully can lead to more congruous care and better patient outcomes.
Behavioral health disorders affect millions of Americans. The 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health highlighted that over 47 million adults are diagnosed with at least one mental illness and 20 million adults with a substance use disorder.
These behavioral health disorders are often associated with physical co-morbidities such as diabetes and heart disease, according to the American Hospital Association.
The breadth of these disorders is not indicative of treatment availability, though. Patients with co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders received care nearly half the time it was needed while patients with...