Improving Adherence to Mental Health Treatment in a Low-Income Clinic

Janice Gandy, Erika Metzler Sawin, Sharon Zook and Lynne Eggert

SAGE Open, 2019, vol. 9, issue 2, 2158244019851015

Abstract: The increasing prevalence of mental illness in the United States presents significant challenges for primary care providers particularly in low-income settings. Integrated Behavioral Health (IBH) programs have resulted in improved general health for low-income participants; however, managing appointment adherence, in which the patient attends appointment as scheduled, is particularly challenging. The purpose of this pilot project was to implement bundled interventions at a low-income primary care clinic in a Mid-Atlantic state to improve patient adherence to behavioral health treatment using a collaborative, community-based approach. Interventions were delivered in a bundle format and included patient education, warm patient handoffs, and follow-up phone calls by behavioral health counselors. In the 4-month postintervention time frame, the average number of patients who did not come to their appointment decreased by 60%, and the average number of patients who canceled decreased by 15%. These differences were significant (χ 2 = 9.263, df = 2, p

Keywords: adherence; mental health; low income; integrated behavioral health; collaborative (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:sagope:v:9:y:2019:i:2:p:2158244019851015

DOI: 10.1177/2158244019851015

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