The Benefits of Integrating Physical and Behavioral Health

Now, it isn’t a secret how involved technology is when it comes to modern American care centers. We now have a multitude of different devices that monitor the physical well-being of patients. However, we think taking this a step further will benefit the healthcare industry even more. This can be done through physical and behavioral health integration. The integration of physical and behavioral health shouldn’t be too surprising considering the thorough documentation of the relationship the two share. What is surprising is that the systems that have been built to address these issues have traditionally worked independently. This has caused everything to work rather inefficiently. This is why we believe that having a system that supports both physical and behavioral health is integral to the future of healthcare. If you need more convincing regarding this topic, then we have just the thing for you. Here are a few of the benefits that will come by simply integrating physical and behavioral health:

Integration Saves Costs

We’ve already touched upon this in our article on behavioral health integration, but it’s worth reiterating again. In fact, a report issued by the American Psychiatric Association highlights how an estimate of $26 to 48 billion can be saved annually through the integration of physical and behavioral health services. Now, there are several reasons for this. First, those who have been diagnosed with chronic diseases have a three to four times higher frequency of behavioral health comorbidities. Since we traditionally treat these two independently, their behavioral health issues often go untreated which leads to them suffering from functional impairments. This, in turn, leads to increased costs when it comes to providing them with care. To add to this, patients who suffer from behavioral health issues tend to be non-compliant when it comes to their treatment. This causes their condition to worsen, which will also lead to higher costs in the long run.

Integration Helps More People

Beyond cutting down on costs, integrating these two services can lead to better treatment for more people. What people fail to realize is that behavioral health has become a serious issue in this country. In fact, approximately 44.7 million adults live with a behavioral health condition. And while this is serious in itself, the situation becomes even grimmer when you consider that most people aren’t getting the treatment that they need. The Government Accountability Office details that 68% of nearly 3,400 community clinics that serve low-income people with mental health conditions had to cancel their appointments due to a lack of resources. By integrating physical and behavioral health, issues such as mental health can be treated alongside what we traditionally consider to be primary care services. If you’re looking at things from this standpoint, there’s no denying integrating the two provides the best outcome when it comes to coming up with the most effective approach to address the people’s healthcare needs.

Conclusion

We hope this article has shed some light on this topic. Treating physical and behavioral health independently isn’t only inefficient from a cost standpoint but is also affecting how we care for patients across the country. No matter how you look at things, integrating physical and behavioral health just provides the most benefits for both patients and healthcare providers. If you’re looking to improve your services, Medistics Health is just what you need. We’ve got you covered when it comes to value-based programs and other related services. Get in touch with us today to see how we can help you!