Electronic health records (EHRs) have become the norm for storing and tracking patient information in clinical healthcare environments. Still, their usage lags in the world of behavioral and mental health. Research shows that the cause of this may be initial concerns about learning to use EHRs or general anxiety surrounding the system. However, the same study found these fears to be largely unfounded, especially with newer mental and behavioral health-specific EHR systems. One nurse noted, “It actually makes my job so much easier because I can access the information from whatever location I’m at, as opposed to going to the units and pulling out the charts.” A mental healthcare clinician also remarked, “What we have now is efficient and it’s cut [out] a lot of time.”
Mental and behavioral health EHR systems can provide an efficient and effective platform for mental health practices of all sizes to better serve their community. Adopting EHR systems in behavioral health settings is crucial to improving patient outcomes.
There are a number of different types of mental healthcare facilities, from large group practices to small independent providers. The latter often have the same responsibilities as the former, from accounting to client management and data tracking. They take on these responsibilities in addition to their work as therapists, counselors, and social workers.
Behavioral health EHR adoption can benefit independent counselors and therapists by providing a comprehensive and intuitive platform from which to coordinate all these wide-ranging responsibilities. For instance, tracking patient information on paper requires time and necessitates that the provider is physically in the same room as their filing cabinets. EHRs can streamline the data collection process and enable providers to access said information from secure remote locations. A behavioral health EHR system can benefit the patients of a private practice by reducing the amount of time, focus, and attention that the provider must allot to factors outside of directly working with their patients.
In addition to patient data tracking, an independent mental healthcare provider must take the time to coordinate patient billing information. With the number of insurance companies and coverage plans available, as well as Medicaid, it can be difficult for providers to fund patient care. An EHR system provides the platform to easily and conveniently compare options, which improves the patient experience by making mental healthcare more financially accessible. It also helps coordinate meaningful matches of social workers and patients without running into walls posed by conflicting insurance coverage.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth usage has rapidly expanded. A study published in JMIR Medical Informatics shows that for people dealing with mental illness, “telehealth has the potential to improve quality of life and general mental health, reduce depressive symptoms, [and] build more confidence in managing depression.” However, it is incumbent upon mental health clinicians to follow the treatment guidelines and offer the same level of care to in-person and telehealth patients.
Mental and behavioral health EHR adoption helps yield improved patient outcomes by giving providers a singular platform by which they can equitably provide care to both streams of patients. Certain behavioral health-focused EHR systems even offer a secure streaming platform through which providers can host telehealth sessions. The JMIR study concludes, “Telehealth programs paired with the right EHR system enhance care access, increase patient satisfaction, and reduce medical spending,” and therefore, changes at this systemic level are needed to reduce disparities in mental health.
Large mental health institutions, such as therapy group practices, can also benefit from adopting a behavioral health EHR platform. For example, it can provide them with standardized documentation systems, thereby streamlining recordkeeping between different providers within a group practice. These standardized records also assist with clinical assessment outcome tracking, making it easier for a practice manager to check that patients are showing improvement over time.
Mental and behavioral health EHR adoption can improve the working conditions of the clinicians in a group practice setting. One clinician was quoted on the change from paper to EHRs: “Going from printing out over 200 documents a day and using over 200 labels a day, running out of pen ink, hand cramps. So I was excited that it was electronic because things were done smoother.”
Adopting a mental health EHR platform can benefit clinicians and managers alike in mental health group practices. Enhancements to recordkeeping, patient tracking, and clinician workflow can improve patient outcomes by creating a more organized, consistent, and reliable practice.
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