Collaborative Communication Between Psychologists and Primary Care Providers

Impact of Electronic Health Records on Information Practices in Mental Health Contexts: Scoping Review

BACKGROUND

The adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) and electronic medical records (EMRs) has been slow in the mental health context, partly because of concerns regarding the collection of sensitive information, the standardization of mental health data, and the risk of negatively affecting therapeutic relationships. However, EHRs and EMRs are increasingly viewed as critical to improving information practices such as the documentation, use, and sharing of information and, more broadly, the quality of care provided.

OBJECTIVE

This paper aims to undertake a scoping review to explore the impact of EHRs on information practices in mental health contexts and also explore how sensitive information, data standardization, and therapeutic relationships are managed when using EHRs in mental health contexts.

METHODS

We considered a scoping review to be the most appropriate method for this review because of the relatively recent uptake of EHRs in mental health contexts. A comprehensive search of electronic databases was conducted with no date restrictions for articles that described the use of EHRs, EMRs, or associated systems in the mental health context. One of the authors reviewed all full texts, with 2 other authors each screening half of the full-text articles. The fourth author mediated the disagreements. Data regarding study characteristics were charted. A narrative and thematic synthesis approach was taken to analyze the included studies' results and address the research questions.

RESULTS

The final review included 40 articles. The included studies were highly heterogeneous with a variety of study designs, objectives, and settings. Several themes and subthemes were identified that explored the impact of EHRs on information practices in the mental health context. EHRs improved the amount of information documented compared with paper. However, mental health-related information was regularly missing from EHRs, especially sensitive information. EHRs introduced more standardized and formalized documentation practices that raised issues because of the focus on narrative information in the mental health context. EHRs were found to disrupt information workflows in the mental health context, especially when they did not include appropriate templates or care plans. Usability issues also contributed to workflow concerns. Managing the documentation of sensitive information in EHRs was problematic; clinicians sometimes watered down sensitive information or chose to keep it in separate records. Concerningly, the included studies rarely involved service user perspectives. Furthermore, many studies provided limited information on the functionality or technical specifications of the EHR being used.

CONCLUSIONS

We identified several areas in which work is needed to ensure that EHRs benefit clinicians and service users in the mental health context. As EHRs are increasingly considered critical for modern health systems, health care decision-makers should consider how EHRs can better reflect the complexity and sensitivity of information practices and workflows in the mental health context.

Key stakeholder perspectives on obstacles to an autism-specific Medicaid waiver service delivery model

BACKGROUND

Children and youth with autism spectrum disorder have significant, multi-system needs that require supports, such as the autism waiver (AW) service delivery model. This study aimed to identify and describe characteristics of the AW, define obstacles and strengths in the provision of adequate services and provide recommendations for improving overall effectiveness.

METHODS

This mixed-methods exploratory study used an electronic survey to gain information and perceptions of AW provider agency directors (n = 27) and service coordinators (n = 30).

RESULTS

The key barriers reported were the shortage of qualified staff, inadequate staff training, complexity of cases or symptom severity of clients and lack of communication at multiple levels throughout the agency as well as with parents.

CONCLUSIONS

Recommendations include reinforcing the workforce through higher salaries, greater training and communication interventions. These strategies may reduce staff turnover and shortage, lighten the caseload, reduce the waitlist period and improve the effectiveness and responsiveness of AW services.

Psychologists and Pediatricians in the Primary Care Sandbox: Communication is Key to Cooperative Play

Recent literature, public policy, and funding opportunities call attention to the need for better increased integration of health and mental health care services in primary care settings so as to best meet the needs of children and families. There are many benefits to such integration, but pediatric primary care providers (PCPs) face multiple barriers to identifying and managing patients with mental health difficulties. One way to address this problem is through the integration of psychologists into primary care settings who can collaborate with PCPs to provide integrated behavioral health care to youth and families. However, there are challenges to collaboration, which include differences in training, professional cultures, and expectations held by professionals from various disciplines. Effective communication is a key component in supporting interprofessional collaboration between primary care providers and psychologists working in primary care settings. This paper reviews aspects of pediatric medicine culture, critical components of communication, and strategies to improve communication. Three case examples are presented in which some of these challenges have been successfully addressed. Implications and future directions are discussed.

Competencies and Training Guidelines for Behavioral Health Providers in Pediatric Primary Care

This article focuses on the cross-discipline training competencies needed for preparing behavioral health providers to implement integrated primary care services. After a review of current competencies in the disciplines of child and adolescent psychiatry, psychology, and social work, cross-cutting competencies for integrated training purposes are identified. These competencies are comprehensive and broad and can be modified for use in varied settings and training programs. An existing and successful integrated care training model, currently implemented at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, is described. This model and the training competencies are discussed in the context of recommendations for future work and training.

A Clinical Care Algorithmic Toolkit for Promoting Screening and Next-Level Assessment of Pediatric Depression and Anxiety in Primary Care

With a documented shortage in youth mental health services, pediatric primary care (PPC) providers face increased pressure to enhance their capacity to identify and manage common mental health problems among youth, such as anxiety and depression. Because 90% of U.S. youth regularly see a PPC provider, the primary care setting is well positioned to serve as a key access point for early identification, service provision, and connection to mental health services. In the context of task shifting, we evaluated a quality improvement project designed to assist PPC providers in overcoming barriers to practice-wide mental health screening through implementing paper and computer-assisted clinical care algorithms. PPC providers were fairly successful at changing practice to better address mental health concerns when equipped with screening tools that included family mental health histories, next-level actions, and referral options. Task shifting is a promising strategy to enhance mental health services, particularly when guided by computer-assisted algorithms.

Transformational Impact of Health Information Technology on the Clinical Practice of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

Compared with other medical specialties, psychiatrists have been slower adopters of health information technology (IT) practices, such as electronic health records (EHRs). This delay in implementation could compromise patient safety and impede integration into accountable care organizations and multidisciplinary treatment settings. This article focuses on optimizing use of EHRs for clinical practice, leveraging health IT to improve quality of care, and focusing on the potential for future growth in health IT in child and adolescent psychiatric practice. Aligning with other medical fields and focusing on transparency of mental health treatment will help psychiatrists reach parity with other medical specialties.

GPs' approaches to documenting stigmatising information: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Complete medical documentation is essential for continuity of care, but the competing need to protect patient confidentiality presents an ethical dilemma. This is particularly poignant for GPs because of their central role in facilitating continuity.

AIM

To examine how GPs manage medical documentation of stigmatising mental health (MH) and non-MH information.

DESIGN AND SETTING

A qualitative sub-study of a factorial experiment with GPs practising in Massachusetts, US.

METHOD

Semi-structured interviews (n = 128) were audiorecorded and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were coded and analysed for themes.

RESULTS

GPs expressed difficulties with and inconsistent strategies for documenting stigmatising information. Without being asked directly about stigmatising information, 44 GPs (34%) expressed difficulties documenting it: whether to include clinically relevant but sensitive information, how to word it, and explaining to patients the importance of including it. Additionally, 75 GPs (59%) discussed strategies for managing documentation of stigmatising information. GPs reported four strategies that varied by type of information: to exclude stigmatising information to respect patient confidentiality (MH: 26%, non-MH: 43%); to include but restrict access to information (MH: 13%, non-MH: 25%); to include but neutralise information to minimise potential stigma (MH: 26%, non-MH: 29%); and to include stigmatising information given the potential impact on care (MH: 68%, non-MH: 32%).

CONCLUSION

Lack of consistency undermines the potential of medical documentation to efficiently facilitate continuous, coordinated health care because providers cannot be certain how to interpret what is or is not in the chart. A proactive consensus process within the field of primary care would provide much needed guidance for GPs and, ultimately, could enhance quality of care.

How are allied health notes used for inpatient care and clinical decision-making? A qualitative exploration of the views of doctors, nurses and allied health professionals

BACKGROUND

Inpatient care is dependent upon the effective transfer of clinical information across multiple professions. However, documented patient clinical information generated by different professions is not always successfully transferred between them. One obstacle to successful information transfer may be the reader's perception of the information, which is framed in a particular professional context, rather than the information per se.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this research was to investigate how different health professionals perceive allied health documentation and to investigate how clinicians of all experience levels across medicine, nursing and allied health perceive and use allied health notes to inform their decision-making and treatment of patients.

METHOD

The study used a qualitative approach. A total of 53 speech pathologists, nurses, doctors, occupational therapists, dieticians and social workers (8 males; 43 females) from an Australian regional tertiary hospital participated in eleven single discipline focus groups, conducted over 4 months in 2012. Discussions were recorded and transcribed verbatim and coded into themes by content analysis.

FINDINGS

Six themes contributing to the efficacy of clinical information transference emerged from the data: day-to-day care, patient function, discharge and discharge planning, impact of busy workloads, format and structure of allied health documentation and a holistic approach to patient care.

DISCUSSION

Other professions read and used allied health notes albeit with differences in focus and need. Readers searched for specific pieces of information to answer their own questions and professional needs, in a process akin to purposive sampling. Staff used allied health notes to explore specific aspects of patient function but did not obtain a holistic picture.

CONCLUSION

Improving both the relationship between the various health professions and interpretation of other professions' documented clinical information may reduce the frequency of communication errors, thereby improving patient care.

Strengthening the Coordination of Pediatric Mental Health and Medical Care: Piloting a Collaborative Model for Freestanding Practices

BACKGROUND

Collaborative pediatric mental health and primary care is increasingly recognized as optimal for meeting the needs of children with mental health problems. This paper describes the challenges faced by freestanding specialty mental health clinics and pediatric health practices to provide such coordinated mind-and-body treatment. It describes critical elements of a proactive approach to achieving collaborative pediatric care under real-world circumstances using the patient-centered medical home neighborhood (PCMH-N) model.

OBJECTIVE

The current study evaluates the field test of the Practitioner-Informed Model to Facilitate Interdisciplinary Collaboration (PIM-FIC), a systematic approach to improving inter-professional collaboration by building relationships and enhancing communication between pediatric mental health and primary care practices.

METHODS

Thirty-nine providers at two mental health and two pediatric primary care practices participated in a pilot project and completed surveys prior to and following their participation. Key informant interviews were also conducted prior to the project.

RESULTS

Participating practitioners' survey and interview responses indicate that the quantity and quality of communication between pediatric mental and medical health care providers increased post-project, as did satisfaction with overall collaboration.

CONCLUSIONS

Improving relationships and communication are first steps in building the infrastructure to support effective coordinated care. Project results highlight practical and easily implemented strategies that pediatric mental health and primary care practices can take to strengthen their collaboration. Findings also suggest a need for collaborative care policies and competencies for child mental health providers working in freestanding practices within the PCMH-N.

Using the Primary Care Behavioral Health Provider Adherence Questionnaire (PPAQ) to identify practice patterns

Primary care-mental health integration (PC-MHI) is growing in popularity. To determine program success, it is essential to know if PC-MHI services are being delivered as intended. The investigation examines responses to the Primary Care Behavioral Health Provider Adherence Questionnaire (PPAQ) to explore PC-MHI provider practice patterns. Latent class analysis was used to identify clusters of PC-MHI providers based on their self-report of adherence on the PPAQ. Analysis revealed five provider clusters with varying levels of adherence to PC-MHI model components. Across clusters, adherence was typically lowest in relation to collaboration with other primary care staff. Clusters also differed significantly in regard to provider educational background and psychotherapy approach, level of clinic integration, and previous PC-MHI training. The PPAQ can be used to identify PC-MHI provider practice patterns that have relevance for future clinical effectiveness studies, development of provider training, and quality improvement initiatives.

Integrating Behavioral Health and Primary Care: Consulting, Coordinating and Collaborating Among Professionals

PURPOSE

This paper sought to describe how clinicians from different backgrounds interact to deliver integrated behavioral and primary health care, and the contextual factors that shape such interactions.

METHODS

This was a comparative case study in which a multidisciplinary team used an immersion-crystallization approach to analyze data from observations of practice operations, interviews with practice members, and implementation diaries. The observed practices were drawn from 2 studies: Advancing Care Together, a demonstration project of 11 practices located in Colorado; and the Integration Workforce Study, consisting of 8 practices located across the United States.

RESULTS

Primary care and behavioral health clinicians used 3 interpersonal strategies to work together in integrated settings: consulting, coordinating, and collaborating (3Cs). Consulting occurred when clinicians sought advice, validated care plans, or corroborated perceptions of a patient's needs with another professional. Coordinating involved 2 professionals working in a parallel or in a back-and-forth fashion to achieve a common patient care goal, while delivering care separately. Collaborating involved 2 or more professionals interacting in real time to discuss a patient's presenting symptoms, describe their views on treatment, and jointly develop a care plan. Collaborative behavior emerged when a patient's care or situation was complex or novel. We identified contextual factors shaping use of the 3Cs, including: time to plan patient care, staffing, employing brief therapeutic approaches, proximity of clinical team members, and electronic health record documenting behavior.

CONCLUSION

Primary care and behavioral health clinicians, through their interactions, consult, coordinate, and collaborate with each other to solve patients' problems. Organizations can create integrated care environments that support these collaborations and health professions training programs should equip clinicians to execute all 3Cs routinely in practice.

Evaluation of integrated psychological services in a university-based primary care clinic

Primary care is increasingly moving toward integration of psychological services; however few studies have been conducted to test the efficacy of such an integrated approach. This paper presents a program evaluation of psychological services provided by doctoral trainees in clinical and counseling psychology within a primary care clinic at an urban academic medical center. It includes: (1) a description of the program, including types of patients served, their presenting problems, and treatments administered and; (2) evidence of the impact of behavioral health services on primary care patients' emotional adjustment and progress on behavioral goals. Intake and follow-up measures of depression, anxiety, smoking, insomnia, chronic pain, and weight loss were collected on 452 adult patients (mean age = 52; 59 % African-American; 35 % uninsured) who were provided brief interventions (mean visits = 2.2) over a 16-month period. Although conclusions are limited by the lack of a control or comparison group, preliminary findings indicate that the integrated behavioral health services provided were effective. Implications and future directions are discussed.

The anatomy of primary care and mental health clinician communication: a quality improvement case study

BACKGROUND

The high prevalence of comorbid physical and mental illnesses among veterans is well known. Therefore, ensuring effective communication between primary care (PC) and mental health (MH) clinicians in the Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system is essential. The VA's Patient Aligned Care Teams (PACT) initiative has further raised awareness of the need for communication between PC and MH. Improving such communication, however, has proven challenging.

OBJECTIVE

To qualitatively understand barriers to PC-MH communication in an academic community-based clinic by using continuous quality improvement (CQI) tools and then initiate a change strategy.

DESIGN, PARTICIPANTS, AND APPROACH

An interdisciplinary quality improvement (QI) work group composed of 11 on-site PC and MH providers, administrators, and researchers identified communication barriers and facilitators using fishbone diagrams and process flow maps. The work group then verified and provided context for the diagram and flow maps through medical record review (32 patients who received both PC and MH care), interviews (6 stakeholders), and reports from four previously completed focus groups. Based on these findings and a previous systematic review of interventions to improve interspecialty communication, the team initiated plans for improvement.

KEY RESULTS

Key communication barriers included lack of effective standardized communication processes, practice style differences, and inadequate PC training in MH. Clinicians often accessed advice or formal consultation based on pre-existing across-discipline personal relationships. The work group identified collocated collaborative care, joint care planning, and joint case conferences as feasible, evidence-based interventions for improving communication.

CONCLUSIONS

CQI tools enabled providers to systematically assess local communication barriers and facilitators and engaged stakeholders in developing possible solutions. A locally tailored CQI process focusing on communication helped initiate change strategies and ongoing improvement efforts.

Balancing confidentiality and collaboration within multidisciplinary health care teams

As multidisciplinary perspectives are increasingly integrated into the treatment of health problems, opportunities for clinical psychologists in medical settings are expanding. Although cross-discipline collaboration is at the core of multidisciplinary treatment models, psychologists must be particularly cautious about information sharing due to their profession's ethical standards regarding patient confidentiality. Psychologists' ethical obligations require them to achieve a delicate balance between contributing to the treatment team and protecting patient confidentiality. In the current review, relevant ethical standards and federal guidelines are applied to everyday practices of clinical psychologists in medical settings. Additionally, recommendations for individual psychologists, health care organizations, and graduate training programs are presented.

Promoting optimal collaboration between mental health providers and nutritionists in the treatment of eating disorders

The mental health provider-nutritionist collaboration is a primary partnership in the treatment of eating disorders, and its integrity is important for good patient care. Utilizing critical incident qualitative methodology, 22 professionals who specialize in the treatment of eating disorders (12 mental health providers, 10 registered dieticians) were interviewed about instances of problems in collaborations between these two professions, and the impact and resolution of such conflicts. Findings were used to compile a list of best practices. Results are interpreted with reference to research on professional health care teams in medical settings. Implications for interprofessional education and training are discussed.

Navigating ethical issues with electronic health records in developmental-behavioral pediatric practice

The increasing use of electronic health records (EHRs) allows for sharing of information across clinicians, quick access to laboratory results, and supports for documentation. However, this environment raises new issues of ethics and privacy, and it magnifies other issues that existed with paper records. In developmental-behavioral pediatrics (DBP) practice, which relies heavily on a team approach to blend pediatrics, mental health, and allied health, these issues are even more complicated. In this review, we highlight the ethical and privacy issues in DBP practice related to EHR use. Case examples illustrate the potential risks related to EHR access, confidentiality, and interprofessional collaboration. Suggestions to mitigate some of the ethical and privacy issues associated with EHRs at both an administrative level and a clinician level are included. With the expected increase in the adoption of EHRs by DBP clinicians in the near future, professional standards will need to be defined, and novel technological solutions may offer additional safeguards. Until then, professionals and organizations are responsible to uphold the standards of ethical practice while promoting effective information exchange to facilitate clinical care.

Functional roles and foundational characteristics of psychologists in integrated primary care

Psychologists are presented with unprecedented opportunities to integrate their work in primary care settings. Although some roles of psychologists in primary care overlap with those in traditional psychology practice settings, a number are distinct reflecting the uniqueness of the primary care culture. In this paper, we first describe the integrated primary care setting, with a focus on those settings that have components of patient centered medical home. We then describe functional roles and foundational characteristics of psychologists in integrated primary care. The description of functional roles emphasizes the diversity of roles performed. The foundational characteristics identified are those that we consider the 'primary care ethic,' or core characteristics of psychologists that serve as the basis for the various functional roles in integrated primary care. The 'primary care ethic' includes attitudes, values, knowledge, and abilities that are essential to the psychologist being a valued, effective, and productive primary care team member.