Responding to COVID-19 through an integrated primary care/behavioral health program.

Abstract

Background and Implementation: Novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has presented unique challenges for patients and health care systems, including a surge in behavioral health (BH) needs. A community teaching public hospital system in Massachusetts (MA) whose 13 primary care (PC) clinics serve a diverse patient population, has developed a model for Primary Care Behavioral Health Integration (PCBHI) to provide brief, evidence-based interventions to patients in PC. In response to COVID-19, the system developed an intensive community management strategy to care for patients with COVID-19 outside of the hospital, and its PCBHI program adapted alongside this strategy to provide rapid support to patients in emotional distress. Over a 13-week period, 78 patients were specifically referred to the PCBHI COVID clinic and received rapid therapeutic support and/or care navigation. Recommendations: This article will discuss the development and implementation of the PCBHI COVID clinic, common presenting issues and clinical interventions used, and lessons that informed our adaptation of clinic operations and that can serve as recommendations to other health systems in establishing similar services. Public Significance Statement This report describes how an integrated primary care/behavioral health program adapted its safety net health system's response to COVID-19, and was able to provide rapid behavioral health support to patients in emotional distress related to the pandemic. The program's use of brief evidence-based therapies, team coordination, continuous workflow improvement, and multidisciplinary education based on emerging needs can serve as a model for other health care systems.