TY - JOUR
AU - B. M. Lombardi
AU - L. S. Zerden
AU - D. K. Krueger
AU - S. J. W. Wonnum
AU - M. S. W. Richman El PhD
A1 - 
AB - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Integrated behavioral health (IBH) delivered in primary care is critical to addressing the growing behavioral health crisis in the United States. COVID-19 prompted changes to the core components of IBH, causing the model to shift. The specifics of how IBH teams adapted and what these adaptations mean for the future of IBH teams in primary care are uncertain. METHODS: We conducted individual interviews with IBH team members using a semistructured interview guide. A purposive convenience sample consisted of primary care clinicians (N=20) from nine states. We used qualitative thematic analysis to code and generate themes. RESULTS: Four themes emerged: (a) permanent changes to the physical structure of the team; (b) increased reliance on technology for team communication; (c) shift in team collaboration, often occurring asynchronously; and (d) telehealth embraced for IBH. CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 interrupted the originally designed IBH model of team-based care. Changes to the physical proximity of team members disrupted all other components of IBH, requiring adapted workflows, communication via digital channels, virtual team building, asynchronous care coordination, and remote service delivery. Long-term evaluation of these innovations is needed to examine whether shifts in core components impact model efficacy. Training family medicine, primary care, and behavioral health clinicians for these adapted models of IBH will be needed.
AD - Department of Family Medicine, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.; School of Social Work, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.; Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.; Division of Clinical and Health Services Research, National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD.
AN - 39012291
BT - Fam Med
C5 - HIT & Telehealth; Education & Workforce
CP - 9
DA - Oct
DO - 10.22454/FamMed.2024.168465
DP - NLM
ET - 20240715
IS - 9
JF - Fam Med
LA - eng
N2 - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Integrated behavioral health (IBH) delivered in primary care is critical to addressing the growing behavioral health crisis in the United States. COVID-19 prompted changes to the core components of IBH, causing the model to shift. The specifics of how IBH teams adapted and what these adaptations mean for the future of IBH teams in primary care are uncertain. METHODS: We conducted individual interviews with IBH team members using a semistructured interview guide. A purposive convenience sample consisted of primary care clinicians (N=20) from nine states. We used qualitative thematic analysis to code and generate themes. RESULTS: Four themes emerged: (a) permanent changes to the physical structure of the team; (b) increased reliance on technology for team communication; (c) shift in team collaboration, often occurring asynchronously; and (d) telehealth embraced for IBH. CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 interrupted the originally designed IBH model of team-based care. Changes to the physical proximity of team members disrupted all other components of IBH, requiring adapted workflows, communication via digital channels, virtual team building, asynchronous care coordination, and remote service delivery. Long-term evaluation of these innovations is needed to examine whether shifts in core components impact model efficacy. Training family medicine, primary care, and behavioral health clinicians for these adapted models of IBH will be needed.
PY - 2024
SN - 0742-3225 (Print); 0742-3225
SP - 548
EP - 554+
ST - When Interruption Becomes Innovation: How Integrated Behavioral Health in Primary Care Adapted During COVID-19
T1 - When Interruption Becomes Innovation: How Integrated Behavioral Health in Primary Care Adapted During COVID-19
T2 - Fam Med
TI - When Interruption Becomes Innovation: How Integrated Behavioral Health in Primary Care Adapted During COVID-19
U1 - HIT & Telehealth; Education & Workforce
U3 - 10.22454/FamMed.2024.168465
VL - 56
VO - 0742-3225 (Print); 0742-3225
Y1 - 2024
ER -