New Healthcare White Paper Now Available from Netsmart: The Opportunity with Primary Care Integration
Overland Park, Kan (PRWEB) August 28, 2013 -- Primary care and behavioral health providers now have a new resource for improving the integration of care. Netsmart today announced availability of their new white paper, “The Opportunity with Primary Care Integration.” As more and more consumers flood into the healthcare system, it's more critical than ever that these two areas work in concert together to bring about improved outcomes and lower healthcare costs. The white paper is available for download on the Netsmart website.
The paper is co-authored by Ian Chuang, M.D., chief medical officer, Netsmart, and Dennis Morrison, Ph.D., chief clinical officer, Netsmart. Dr. Chuang provides insight from an acute care perspective while Dr. Morrison offers a point of view from his experience in behavioral health. The synergy of their co-authorship of the paper is a fitting example of the primary/behavioral science integration that needs to happen in healthcare today.
The white paper describes the current state of primary and behavioral healthcare integration and the need for increased collaboration between the two specialties. Many treatment models, such as patient-centered health homes (PCMH) or accountable care organizations (ACOs), are being tested to attempt to provide clearer clinical and financial accountability for healthcare needs. Primary care integration and delivery models such as health homes recognize that high-risk groups need better and more cost effective care coordination and management of physical and behavioral health conditions for improved outcomes and lower overall healthcare costs.
“According to the National Association of Community Health Centers, Inc., 70 percent of all primary care physician visits are for psychosocial problems. For people who have both physical and mental health conditions, both have to be addressed in order to impact their overall health and health care cost,” said Michael Valentine, chief executive officer, Netsmart. “Physical and behavioral health providers must come together to maximize care for the patients they treat. One hand has to know what the other hand is doing. At Netsmart, we’re taking the lead in providing technology to address and support the mind/body health needs that must unite to positively impact health and well-being on a large scale.”
In support of primary care integration, Netsmart recently launched its Primary Care Module, an integrated treatment model offering one EHR for all services and immediate access to medications, diagnosis and notes from both primary care and behavioral health providers. The module works with Netsmart myAvatar™, TIER® and myEvolv CareRecord™ EHR (electronic health record) solutions, with both primary care and behavioral health information residing in the same, integrated CareRecord. The Primary Care Module addresses current gaps that exists within the industry and allows providers to significantly improve outcomes for those living with mental illness.
On Tuesday, Sept. 3, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. EDT, Netsmart and OPEN MINDS are sponsoring "Whole-Person Care as We've Never Imagined," a no-cost, clinically-focused educational web seminar for health and human services providers. Attendees will learn the various opportunities for healthcare integration and hear strategies from real-world providers who are already achieving successes with these models. Additional details, including registration information, are available at http://www.ntst.com/summerseries/.
Additional Netsmart white papers on other current industry topics of interest to health and human services providers are available for download on the Netsmart website.
About Netsmart
Netsmart is the leading provider of clinical solutions for health and human services organizations nationwide. They are committed to helping health and human services providers deliver effective, recovery-based care with Netsmart CareFabric™, a tightly woven framework of innovative clinical and business solutions and services that supports integrated, coordinated delivery of health services across the spectrum of care.
More than 22,000 client organizations, including 350,000 care providers and more than 40 state systems use Netsmart products to help improve the quality of life for tens of millions of people each year. Netsmart clients include mental health and substance use treatment agencies, psychiatric hospitals, private and group mental health practices, public health departments, social services and child and family health agencies, vital records offices, and managed care organizations.
Netsmart is pleased to support the EveryDay Matters Foundation, which was established for behavioral and public health organizations to learn from each other and share their causes and stories. Organizations can also request grants for their cause or to help fund technology that advances the way care is delivered. For more information, visit http://www.everydaymatters.com/foundation.
Learn more about how Netsmart and CareFabric are changing the face of healthcare today. Visit http://www.ntst.com, call 1-800-472-5509, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook or visit us on YouTube.
TIER is a registered trademark.
myAvatar, myEvolv, CareRecord and CareFabric are trademarks of Netsmart Technologies, Inc.
Dave Kishler, Netsmart, http://www.ntst.com/, +1 614.764.0143 7252, [email protected]
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