The Importance of Value-Based Care in Behavioral Health

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As the healthcare field evolves into a more efficient system, key changes allow for advances that are revolutionizing the industry. An innovative new value-based care model has expanded the focus to reducing costs, decreasing medical errors, and achieving better overall health for clients. Providers are increasingly turning to this value-based healthcare model in order to achieve value-based results. 

Under this model, providers are rewarded for helping individuals reduce the negative impact chronic disease can have on a client’s life and the number of occurrences of chronic diseases. Rather than being paid by each service they prescribe or perform, they are rewarded based on the health of the client.

A value-based model can: 

  • Lower costs for clients
  • Increase client satisfaction
  • Offer reduced health risks
  • Align prices with outcomes 
  • Lead to better overall health 

This model is spreading through the primary care industry and while it’s had a positive impact, the behavioral health industry has been slower to adopt it.

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Streamline Healthcare Solutions And Harbor Present At MHCA’s Fall Conference In Atlanta

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Oakbrook Terrace, IL – [October 30, 2019] Streamline Healthcare Solutions (Streamline) announced they will be collaborating with Harbor in a workshop at the upcoming MHCA annual fall conference in Atlanta, Georgia. The workshop Driving Staff Performance: Developing Balanced Performance Scorecards for Improved Outcomes will help attendees identify clear measurements for key performance indicators and accountability as well as develop a balanced scorecard to motivate staff and improve client outcomes. As agency funding becomes increasingly dependent on quality and having a clear return on investment, it’s imperative staff are equipped with the tools to accomplish their goals and perform effectively for overall better outcomes. 

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Choices Inc. to Partner with Streamline for SmartCare MCO/EHR Platform

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Oakbrook Terrace, IL – [October, 15 2019] – Streamline Healthcare Solutions and Choices Inc. of Indianapolis, IN have entered into an agreement to become the organization’s new software vendor.  Streamline’s SmartCare software platform was found to be uniquely situated in meeting Choice’s needs for both MCO functionality and a provider EHR within a single product offering.

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Charlotte Behavioral Health Care Chooses Streamline’s SmartCare EHR For Its Ease Of Use And Flexibility

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Oakbrook Terrace, IL – [October 1, 2019] Charlotte Behavioral Health Care (CBHC) and Streamline Healthcare Solutions (Streamline) formed a partnership to help move their current legacy system to one integrated electronic health record platform. CBHC is based in Punta Gorda, Florida and has four locations servicing patients across seven counties. They provide a wide range of services including mental health, substance abuse, therapeutic family care, crisis, and detox services. With SmartCare EHR, CBHC will be able to leverage the technology to go above and beyond to deliver personalized care that is convenient, timely and effective while remaining innovative and flexible.

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Better Technology Access for a Better Tomorrow

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With a rapidly growing need for better mental health care, easy accessibility for treatment sources is vital. Due to technology advances, there are more possibilities than ever to find client care in a reliable, secure way. According to a 2017 report published by Mental Health America, although more than 43 million Americans have a mental health condition, many of those individuals lack access to healthcare. As a growing epidemic that affects a vast number of people globally, innovative solutions are being developed and utilized to change the landscape of mental health care for the better.

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The Growing Need for More CCBHCs and Their Uncertain Future

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CCBHCs are responsible for directly providing (or contracting with partner organizations to provide) nine required types of services, with an emphasis on the provision of 24-hour crisis care, utilization of evidence-based practices, care coordination, and integration with physical health care. In return for providing these services, they receive an enhanced Medicaid reimbursement rate based on their cost of care. But, the time limit on this healthcare experiment is coming to a close. Will the progress made by these clinics be enough to convince Congress to extend funding for the program? The question should be answered soon.

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The Value of Data in a Value-Based Market

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Many behavioral health organizations are required to deliver data to outside funders, to track performance and client health. This is part of a health model called “value-based healthcare.” But if organizations are only collecting this information to satisfy funders, it can seem like a tedious and overwhelming process. Understanding the true significance of data in a value-based healthcare market can help healthcare providers actively utilize this information to improve the quality of care.

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Improve Care Coordination with Healthcare Integration

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Improve Care Coordination with Healthcare Integration

When people are seeking medical care, no matter what their symptoms, they tend to start in the same place, their primary care physician. But often, due to the nature of their illness, or shame about talking about mental illness, they do not receive all the treatment they need from their primary care provider. According to the American Psychiatric Association, many clients need behavioral care specialists. “As many as 40% of all patients seen in primary care settings have a mental illness…” In many situations, mental illness is not the primary reason for the visit. If not addressed or realized by their primary care physician, symptoms can progress and get worse requiring additional services and more intensive levels of care.

While the primary care physician first sees an individual, learns their history, and gathers important information on his or her medical background, at times the clinician is not able to provide comprehensive treatment, due to a lack of resources, time, or simply because the treatment the client needs is not their specialty. Their client is often referred to another practice for treatment, which means it is critical that all health information is shared between providers, as missing data could result in a lapse in care. For clients who need both primary and behavioral healthcare, coordinating these efforts under one umbrella can vastly improve overall client care.

There are a variety of ways to achieve this goal. In this blog, we share a few key aspects of providing clients with integrated health care.

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