Update on the IBHPC

The first version of the IBHPC intervention is complete! It consists of:

• the online curriculum
• the toolkit, including
• team management suggestions
• a set of tactics for integrating behavioral and primary care
• step-by-step templates for clinic process redesign
• a guide for patient partners working on the redesign team at the clinics
• remote coaching for practice facilitators

The curriculum is a series of 15-30 minute multimedia modules in the Canvas learning management system and comes with continuing education credit. It is tailored for specific audiences based on their roles in the clinic: primary care providers, behavioral health providers, nurses, care managers, administrative staff, facilitators, managers and patient-partners. The workbook is available online as a PDF document than can be printed for local use. The remote coaching is delivered via phone and web by a team of experienced practice coaches from a secret location at IBHPC HQ.

This is a major milestone and I'm very grateful to the cast of thousands, led by Connie van Eeghen, Daniel Mullin, CR Macchi, Yuna Berman, Jen Lavoie, Paula Reynolds, Doug Pomeroy and Gail Rose.

For now, the intervention is the heart of our study. When the study is over (and we have some idea of how well it works!), we will make it available for use in a clinic near you...

- Ben Littenberg

IBHPC featured in webinar series on Health Systems Transformation

Betty Rambur, RN, PhD (Professor of Nursing at the University of Rhode Island and member of the IBHPC Stakeholder Advisory Group) is hosting a series of webinars on Health Systems Transformation with an emphasis on workforce development issues. The series started with a talk by Ben Littenberg, MD on Integrating Behavioral Health and Primary Care. It has been archived on line at https://web.uri.edu/ahc/2018/02/27/hstcwebinar1/

Future webinars are available free of charge. See https://web.uri.edu/ahc/hstc/

Parinda Khatri on Barriers to Integrated Care

Parinda Khatri, MD, Chief Clinical Officer at Cherokee Health Systems and a member of our Stakeholder Advisory Group, was interviewed recently by NEJM Catalyst for their article on Care Redesign. Among the many insightful things she says is:

"We used to go around the country and explain why integration is important — really having to explain the need. Everyone now knows why; they just want to know how.”

Of course, that is the main reason we are doing the IBH-PC project - to sort out how best to achieve high-quality integration. Cherokee is an exemplar of excellent integration and has served as a model for our own efforts. It's good to see Parinda and company get the credit they deserve!

(Thanks to Jen Lavoie for sharing this link.)

- Ben Littenberg