Electronic health record (EHR) systems have become increasingly prevalent in the world of healthcare. However, the implementation of EHRs in mental and behavioral health lags behind when compared with other clinical settings. Increased EHR adoption by mental and behavioral health providers can improve patient outcomes by supporting therapists, enhancing coordination between clinical and behavioral health institutions, and ultimately providing more equitable service to the broader population.
An EHR represents a digital file-keeping system that can replace the traditional pen-and-paper filing and note taking that happens in mental healthcare settings. Mental and behavioral health EHRs can improve the efficiency of data collection for service providers and provide access to prior notes or clinical information on patients. The system is specifically designed for easy patient data input, such as clinical notes or medication history.
A mental and behavioral health EHR enhances the ability of mental and behavioral healthcare practitioners to provide better outcomes to their patients by reducing the strain of clerical work and improving focus on the patient and their needs. The system also provides tools to benefit smaller or independent providers by handling the financial and compliance aspects of running a mental healthcare practice.
An EHR like CarePaths has a platform that enables users to easily view and manage payment information from various insurance providers, simplifying an otherwise complex system for independent behavioral healthcare professionals. It also provides support for reporting requirements associated with the Medicare and Medicaid systems. Ultimately, EHRs support service providers so they can spend more time with their patients.
A powerful aspect of EHRs is their ability to help reduce mental healthcare disparities between underserved communities and more affluent ones. One study concludes, “Ultimately, utilization of EHRs among behavioral health care providers will improve the coordination of services and overall patient care, which is essential to reducing mental health disparities.”
Modern behavioral health research is increasingly showing the link between mental and physical health. For instance, patients with a history of mental health or substance abuse disorders are shown to have a higher prevalence of chronic issues such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and cancer. Sadly, these negative outcomes are found to be strongly correlated with lower income levels. It’s also known that fragmentation of care between primary and behavioral healthcare settings can compound the underlying economic and social issues that stress underserved communities. EHRs help decrease health disparities by addressing this issue of fragmentation.
EHRs help address the fragmentation of care between mental, primary, and ambulatory healthcare settings by creating a singular platform through which a patient’s pertinent information can be securely stored and accessed. Patients with substance abuse or mental health disorders can access the procedures and protocols for screenings, intervention, and referral to treatment. Patients are then empowered to become active participants and partners in their own healthcare.
The integration of behavioral and primary healthcare can help reduce disparities in care by addressing stigma. Due to lingering stigma about mental health patients, certain underserved communities (such as those in low-income, rural, or minority settings) prefer to have behavioral consultations during primary care appointments. EHRs can help bridge the current gap between behavioral and primary care settings, thus improving equity in these communities.
Integrating behavioral health and primary healthcare also reduces disparities by addressing the high cost of chronic conditions. For patients with a combination of chronic mental and physical health disorders, being able to address all their needs within the confines of a primary care appointment can reduce costs. EHRs facilitate this integration because primary healthcare providers can better serve their patients’ behavioral health needs by having access to existing notes from previous providers.
Mental and behavioral health EHRs promote easier workflows for clinicians, leading to better patient outcomes. They can also improve behavioral health outcomes on a larger, community-wide scale and are necessary for more complete and equitable care in the behavioral health domain.
Here at CarePaths, we help therapists work more effectively and improve patient outcomes by empowering them with the data that they need via EHR. To learn more about how we can help you, start your free trial today!
