[pachyderm]

It might even save money:

Three reasons why integrating behavioral health services may benefit your primary care practice | Medical Economics

[newtus]

the thing about new treatments is that i wish they were more available to people that are more severe.

[healingme4me]

Sounds like, if the grant study, goes well, and there is, indeed, a positive ROI, then this could be used as a blueprint for other practices to follow.

Two year, grant study, will be curious to see the end result.

Thanks for sharing.

[Perna]

Sounds too squishy to me; they kept using "mental health" and "behavioral health" like they were the same. I don't want someone sending me to dietitian or other weight loss facilitator because they have decided I am overweight and that it is bad for me and if I cannot convince my husband to give up smoking (I have asthma) and don't have the heart to kill my cats (I'm allergic to them) I do not see how my doctor is going to be able to help. In order for something like this to help me, I think it would have to be way more personal, deal with my individual lifestyle, etc.

I find it interesting that they are writing about this as if it is an entirely novel idea... and I am very surprised they are getting a grant But then, it's possible i don't understand the specifics of the program in their entirety.

At my last general practitioner's office, there was both a psychiatric nurse practitioner as well as a part time psychiatrist integrated into the practice.
My GP was a D.O., as was one other GP in the practice. Perhaps that had something to do with it, but not all of the doctors there were. I knew this was not common, but did not think it so terribly novel as the article above is presenting it.

Also, where I am now has integrated practice and services with behavioral and mental health practioners...

I still hold that while it is not common, it is not exceedingly rare, and question that the Harvard practice [which serves the same general area as my current practice BTW] truly needs grants to employ these kinds of changes.

Again, though, it's possible there are innovative ideas that just are not clear from the information provided.

I DO have to say that in my experience, having these providers in the same practice can be very helpful as the communication and general ability to serve a patient seemed to improve [in my case at least] by quite a bit. [EVEN if the individual is not being served by the behavioral or mental health provider in the same practice]

[Perna]

I don't think they are necessarily saying they are innovative so much as testing them more "scientifically" through the grants to see if they do in fact make money for the primary care people, etc.

As you say, Josie, you are in Boston where Harvard is; the rest of the country isn't as up-to-date I don't think. I think there is one medical practice like you describe in my area and I have heard of others closer to Baltimore but they also had too many less well known and accepted alternative practitioners in them to attract my interest (aromatherapy, for example).

AH, yeah... I moved to Boston though.

The first practice I was describing is not in Boston nor in a suburb.
So that is actually why I was surprised that this was considered kind of novel?

I don't think they are necessarily saying they are innovative so much as testing them more "scientifically" through the grants to see if they do in fact make money for the primary care people, etc.

...but yeah that makes sense haha.
Maybe I need to go back to bed. :P