Addressing the Behavioral Health Crisis Using Technology

Redesigning Care:

A How-to Guide for Hospitals and Health Systems Seeking to Implement, Strengthen and Sustain Telebehavioral Health

Behavioral health disorders affect 44 million adults in America. Yet fewer than half of this growing population receive the treatment they need. The stigma of mental illness, the lack of coverage and inadequate reimbursement, and a significant shortage of behavioral health professionals prevent those with behavioral health needs from seeking and receiving care.

Telebehavioral health offers tremendous potential to improve patient outcomes and experience by transforming care delivery, overcoming geographic distances and enhancing access to care, particularly in underserved and rural areas or both.

The AHA and the National Quality Forum have collaborated to produce Redesigning Care: A How-to Guide for Hospitals and Health Systems Seeking to Implement, Strengthen and Sustain Telebehavioral Health. This guide describes actionable strategies and interventions and links to a variety of other tools and resources.

The strategies and interventions in this guide are differentiated and can be customized for use, whether a health care organization is starting a telebehavioral health program or strengthening or sustaining an existing one. Using this guide, your hospital or health system can provide better care to a large number of people who need behavioral health services, but don’t have access.

 

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