Recently, the Children’s Hospital Corporation in Massachusetts completed a study examining family-centered hospital rounds for doctors and nurses. Rounds are daily meetings when the care team reviews patient progress and creates a plan for the day. During rounds, staff may use confusing medical terms and neglect family input and questions. In response, the research team […]
“I can’t sleep when my baby sleeps, I’m too worried about every little thing. Why didn’t anyone tell me it would be like this? I thought I could do this but now I am not sure at all.” “I’m so angry and irritable that my family and friends are losing patience with me. They pushed […]
Nothing like waiting until the very last minute for inspiration! The last few weeks I have been mulling over topics for this month’s post. Nothing had really stuck until I was out on a hike this morning with a friend. He was talking about how after a slow day at his job he often has […]
Welcome to the JUNE 2019 research review, where I review some of the latest research findings and developments in the field of integrated behavioral health. There are two trends I am seeing in the literature that comes to my email inbox. First, researchers are evaluating the impact of integration on patient populations with complex health […]
Physician greets older male patient. Physician greets patient’s adult daughter. Physician asks about patient’s conditions. Physician asks for daughter’s input. Physician does physical examination. Physician makes recommendations and writes scripts. Physician asks patient and daughter if they have questions. A very normal-sounding outpatient medical visit, right? What could possibly be wrong with this picture? For […]
In 2018, I had a sweet setup for my work commute. My friend, who also worked downtown, would pick me up at my house, use the carpool lane on the highway, and drop me off in front of my office building. When I offered to pay for gas, he refused me. “Matt, I am actually […]
With over 450 patients on Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) engaged in our primary care-based programs we have learned a thing or two about how to do this work in primary care. We are fiercely passionate about this work and have been leading voices in the design of programs that promote health and wellbeing […]
I think about elevator pitches a fair amount, maybe more than would be considered healthy. I can’t help it. Every time I think I have finally explained the role of the mental health provider on the health care team to anyone who could possibly care, another person says, “I guess I still don’t really understand […]
As befits his majestic name, Brian Duke threw down the gauntlet. “If you really want to help health systems do a better job of supporting family caregivers,” said the former Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Aging and the current System Director of Senior Services for Main Line Health in suburban Philadelphia, “then you better […]
What do the US, Myanmar, and Liberia all have in common? They are the only countries in the world who do not commonly use the metric system of measurement. Instead of kilos, liters, and meters, we measure in pounds, gallons, and yards (i.e., the English system). No big deal, right? Well, consider that in May 1999 […]
Welcome to the March 2019 research review, where I review some of the latest research findings and developments in the field of integrated behavioral health. Per usual, I include links to the articles in the headings and then snippets from the abstract below the heading. As integration becomes more of the norm and less the […]
I walk through an empty cobblestone plaza, once bustling with vendors, the infectious smell of al pastor tacos, and fresh leather sandals. This plaza has been vacant since the period of time in the early 2000s when Tijuana became violent, even dangerous, and Americans didn’t visit. I climb the snaking stairwells and tunnels leading me across […]
One of the first things I noticed when starting out as a BHC in an obstetrics/gynecology clinic was that every template or model for integrated care focused on primary care as the setting for behavioral health integration.
Around the long mahogany board room table, the 40 middle-age nurse and social work care managers of this large Medicare ACO regarded me with a mixture of inquisitive and impassive looks. I was supposed to deliver the good news on how strategies for supporting family caregivers are becoming more sophisticated. I started off by asking […]
The title of this post is a terrible pick-up line, but it reflects my recent musings on how we identify patients in primary care who may benefit from behavioral health services. Health screening is standard practice in primary care. We screen for physical health, mental health, substance use, health behaviors, family functioning, social determinants of […]
This year is almost over, a signal it is time to highlight all the great blog posts published in 2018. We have terrific writers in the CFHA community who collectively represent unequaled experience and thinking in the field right now. Catherine Van Fossen et al wrote about a new tool that measures family functioning. They […]
Starting and sustaining a movement in healthcare is tough business, unless there is a plan and resources for dissemination. The movement to integrate behavioral health services into primary care began in diverse places, but now appears to have serious momentum. The challenges facing integration today are many and include the following big two: workforce development […]
During the 24 years I worked as a psychologist in family medicine, I heard many complaints about patients’ family members gumming up the healthcare system in various ways. For instance: “My patient’s wife keeps asking me to do things I can’t do—like arrange for her husband to live elsewhere—and taking up my time with frequent […]
