Pursuit of Well-Being

There is much to be said about healthcare in our conversations today that has not changed over decades. Even with the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010, which was to cover low-income families with affordable healthcare insurance, another aspect remains to be addressed—the availability of healthcare providers. Primary care practitioners (PCP) are on the front line of healthcare delivery. Within underserved communities, patients may have to wait weeks or months to be seen, and if the patient must reschedule, the patient may not return until after a health crisis. Those patients who have chronic conditions, for example, diabetes and hypertension, are less likely to wait weeks or longer before seeing their PCP, eventually going to the Emergency Department to have their healthcare needs addressed, and this is when comorbid healthcare issues are discovered. The movement in healthcare delivery presently is along the lines of integrating behavioral health and primary care.

The Primary Care Behavioral Health (PCBH) model is person-centered, where the PCP works with a team of clinicians and other personnel. This model highlights the Doctor of Behavioral Health (DBH), whose role in the PCBH model is that of a Behavioral Consultant (BC). The behavioral consultant will consult with the PCP about the patient and then consult with the patient to identify and change health behaviors that contribute negatively to chronic mental and or physical illness. The DBH is instrumental in training and integrating the practice team of primary care and behavioral health clinicians working with office personnel, patients, and families. Creating a clinical environment helps patients feel safe, heard, understood, and respected. Delivering cost-effective and efficient ways to treat patients, many of whom have chronic illnesses, is the aim in hopes of helping to improve the quality of life of each patient. Team-oriented clinicians are an integral component of integrated behavioral healthcare.

One Place Healthcare is the beginning of a new era of healthcare delivery.

For more information, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12955-017-0765-y.