Healthcare Utilization and Symptom Variation Among Veterans Using Behavioral Telehealth Center Services

Abstract

Substance use and mental health problems are often underdiagnosed and undertreated in primary care. Veterans affairs facilities are using the Behavioral Telehealth Center (BTC) to provide evidence-based assessments for primary care patients via telephone. Whether participation in BTC services is associated with (1) increases in healthcare utilization and (2) decreases in symptoms based on behavioral health screening instruments, post-BTC services compared with pre-BTC services were investigated. Retrospective data were extracted for 1,820 patients who were referred to the BTC. Differences in utilization rates and symptom scores pre- and post-BTC services were tested using repeated measures analysis of covariance while controlling for relevant sociodemographic variables. Participants (1) utilized significantly more substance use and mental health treatment services and (2) had significantly lower alcohol and depression screening scores post-BTC services compared with pre-BTC services. This initial evaluation provides support that BTC services are associated with increased healthcare utilization and decreased alcohol and depressive symptoms.

Factors associated with the intention to use adult preventive health services in Taiwan

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Defining Major Depressive Disorder Cohorts Using the EHR: Multiple Phenotypes Based on ICD-9 Codes and Medication Orders

“…Third, the remaining patients who did not meet any of these previous criteria were then grouped into "Antidepressants for Other Psychiatric Condition" (PsychRx) if they received one or more antidepressant medication orders (RxNorm Healthcare utilization. Depression is associated with increased healthcare utilization (Bhattarai et al, 2013;Felleman et al, 2013;Possemato et al, 2013). As a measure of healthcare utilization, we calculated the average number of visits annually across different health care settings and compared these across the groups.…”

Impact of COVID-19 on service delivery for an evidence-based behavioral treatment for families involved in the child welfare system

“…As COVID-19 restrictions continue to impact health service delivery, health care providers and insurers are positioned to assess whether clients consider virtual treatment delivery to be acceptable, and to extract clients' suggestions for improving the acceptability. Research has shown that virtual adaptations can be effective (Possemato, Bishop, Willis, & Lantinga, 2013), provided that clients feel their confidentiality is protected (Bischoff, Hollist, Smith, & Flack, 2004) and continue to feel engaged by a "real" person behind the virtual space (Mohr, Cuijpers, & Lehman, 2011). However, such studies took place prior to COVID-19.…”