There are three key observations from several studies conducted over the past decade that confirm the need for this functional competency:

1. Individuals with serious acute and chronic medical conditions are at high risk for developing behavioral health problems.
    Cancer, chronic pain, and disabling trauma represent a few of the many medical problems that may cause or exacerbate such behavioral health disorders as depression and substance abuse.
2. Individuals with chronic behavioral health problems are high users of medical care.
    Individuals suffering from alcoholism are at high risk for accidents and injuries. Individuals suffering from clinical depression have frequent problems with eating and sleeping that lead to a variety of medical disorders. These are two examples of several medical problems that result from behavioral health problems.
3. Individuals with behavioral health problems frequently access their primary health care provider for treatment of their behavioral health disorder.
    Recent studies indicate that perhaps as many as 70% of all prescriptions for psychiatric medication are written by non-psychiatric physicians. Additionally, a substantial number of those prescriptions are written for patients who have no behavioral health diagnosis in their medical records.

Corphealth works with its purchasers to address these problems in a variety of ways.

  Clinical Guidelines
    Corphealth has a standing New Technology Committee (New Tech) made up of experienced, board certified, practicing psychiatrists. The New Tech Committee regularly reviews and analyzes published practice guidelines in order to make certain that Corphealth and its customers are using the most current and cost-effective approaches to behavioral health care.
  Training and Education
   

Corphealth physicians and behavioral health specialists are available to purchasers for presenting custom training programs to primary care and specialty physicians on a broad variety of topics including:

  • Screening behavioral health disorders in a general medical setting
  • Overcoming patient objections to behavioral health diagnoses
  • Appropriate use of psychotropic medication
  • Facilitating referrals for specialized behavioral health care
  Formulary Review
   

The New Tech Committee also regularly reviews current and new psychotropic medications in order to make certain that Corphealth and its customers are using the most cost-effective approaches to this aspect of behavioral health care. Customer’s may utilize this service as part of an ongoing feature, or may wish to request drug-specific reviews. This last feature is especially valuable for making timely decisions on newly introduced medications.

In certain situations, Corphealth physicians may also participate as regular or ad hoc members of a customer’s pharmacy and therapeutics committee.

  Case Consultation
   

Corphealth makes the consultation process easy for other medical providers. A dedicated toll-free consult line is available to medical providers and their office staffs to use to speak directly with a psychiatrist or other behavioral health specialist in order to provide timely advice for routine issues.

In more complicated situations, Corphealth arranges to review patients’ medical charts, and/or practice guidelines and provide formal, written recommendations.

For highly complicated cases, medical providers can contact Corphealth to facilitate a referral to a Corphealth network provider for a formal second opinion consultation.
  Special Studies
    Corphealth works with its customers to provide special focused studies and pilot projects intended to provide more effective linkages between the treatment of medical and behavioral health problems.
 

 

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