When case managers encounter patients with behavioral health needs, they shouldn’t just send the patients home after their physical illness is treated, says Patrick Hernandez, DBH, MSW, LMSW, CPRP, management consultant for Berkeley Research Group.
At the very least, they should link patients to a patient-center medical home for follow-up care for both issues, he adds. “The case manager should contact the medical home and alert them to the reason the patient is in the emergency department, and make an appointment for them,” he says.
Behavioral health patients must have a strong relationship with a primary care provider and/or a behavioral health provider who understands their condition and how to manage it. Patients need a thorough understanding of their medication regimen and assistance in following it, adds Nancy Magee, BSN, MSN, RN, senior consultant for Novia Solutions.
“If patients don’t follow up with a primary care provider who can treat both the physical and behavioral problems and provide support to help the patients follow their treatment plan, they’re likely to end up back in the emergency department,” she says.
Unfortunately, some primary care providers have a tendency to just write prescriptions for patients with mental health issues and send them out the door, Hernandez says. “In an integrated healthcare system, they would do a warm handoff to a behavioral health specialist,” he says.
But, in many cases, if a primary care physician refers a patient to a behavioral health specialist, the patient won’t go because of the stigma still attached to mental illness. “This explains why case managers should work to move patients into a patient-centered medical home that can meet both their physical and behavioral health needs, he says.
“A one-stop practice helps eliminate the stigma of seeing a behavioral specialist, saves money since providers share records, and the patients get help with all their issues at the same place,” he says.
When case managers encounter patients with behavioral health needs, they shouldn’t just send the patients home after their physical illness is treated.
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