My work for Maine health involves translating
research evidence into daily practice. And one of the key things in doing that
work is that you have to pay attention to the details and help people think about how they
have to change the way they do their daily work to incorporate integration so that people can
develop new work processes and new habits. There are several themes that I've noticed in
working with highly successful integrated practices. The first is that the behavioral health
clinician has to become a member of the primary care team developing relationships
with other members of the team, communicating well, and really becoming
a part of that team. Secondly you need to pay attention
to some key details of integration, especially as things are
getting up and running. That includes the balance between
accessibility and productivity. You need to make sure the clinician
is generating enough income to support the practice while at the same time being
accessible for that next patient who needs the service.
Finally it's important to think about
ways to anticipate which patients may have need for integrated services because
in the midst of a busy primary care day the clinician may not be able to
remember and you need other mechanisms to make sure that those patients get the care they need..
