Maximizing Technology in Behavioral Health and Human Services: How One Provider is Building a “Digital Bridge to Health”

by Streamline
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Maximizing Technology in Behavioral Health and Human Services: How One Provider is Building a “Digital Bridge to Health” 

From the huge increase in telehealth services to the data and analytics required for evidence-based care to the promise artificial intelligence holds for improving outcomes, technology is revolutionizing behavioral health and human services. At the same time, implementing and making full use of multiple technology options can pose a significant challenge for behavioral health organizations, many of which operate with limited budgets.

To help organizations use technology strategically and effectively, Streamline Healthcare Solutions recently sponsored the OPEN MINDs webinar, “Digital Bridge to Health™: How One Agency is Using Technology to Engage Community Partners Through a Digitized System of Care.”

Build Technology Around Key Stakeholders: Clients, Community, Colleagues

Kate Benedetto, Manager of Digital Community Infrastructure, and Andrew Bronson, VP of Information Systems/CIO of Mental Health Partners (MHP), a Streamline customer, shared how the organization has improved consumer outcomes and technology effectiveness with its new Digital Bridge to Health™ initiative.

Digital Bridge to Health™ focuses on building a technology infrastructure holistically to coordinate the efforts of what MHP has coined the “Three C’s” — clients, community, and colleagues. The Three C’s can also be explained as the “why” (clients), “who” (community), and “how” (colleagues) they serve.

Take a Long-Term, Strategic Approach

MHP’s team developed a five-year strategy to achieve its digital objective of maximizing a value-based care system through the introduction of new and transformative digital capabilities in support of the outcomes required by its clients, community, and colleagues. This objective focuses on the following five areas:

  • Increased value from tech investments – e.g., enterprise applications, digitalization, electronic health record (EHR).
  • Data driven decision making – e.g., analytics, data integrity, business intelligence. 
  • IT maturity – e.g., user support, assess-adjust-measure-repeat.
  • Digital innovation – e.g., change management, solution exploration, vendor partnerships.
  • Security – e.g., policy, advanced monitoring, multi-factor authentication.

Leverage Partnerships

For MHP, partnerships play a key role in building out the tech infrastructure between clients, community, and colleagues. In particular, partnerships with technology vendors allow organizations to be at the front end of innovation through beta testing or piloting new technology and functionality to provide helpful feedback on ways these tools could potentially be improved. These partnerships also allow open communication with technology partners around the challenges organizations are facing and where they see themselves in the future to help guide technology roadmaps and development plans.

To measure the success of the Digital Bridge to Health™, MHP will use Net Promoter Scores measuring client and community satisfaction and Colleague Engagement Scores measuring staff engagement.

Three Steps to Get Started

For organizations who wish to develop their own Digitized System of Care, it starts with three basic steps:

  • Assess the current system of care and identify where there is a disconnect between the 3 C’s.
  • Audit all current technology to uncover any gaps in functionality necessary to connect the 3 C’s – including all technology, functionality, software, etc. even those that may have been forgotten or started but not fully set up.
  • Acquire the technology to fill those gaps through partnerships, purchasing, or development.

To learn more, view the entire webinar.

Streamline’s SmartCare™ Behavioral Health EHR

Since 2003, Streamline has focused exclusively on the Behavioral Health and Human Services market. We understand that organizations in this market need more than just another Electronic Health Record (EHR) vendor. We are a trusted partner in building innovative technology solutions that empower people to improve the quality of life for those in need.

SmartCare™ is a true Enterprise EHR platform designed specifically for Behavioral Health and Human Services organizations. Its enterprise, cloud-based, single-platform, and intelligent technology empowers these organizations to improve effectiveness and quality of care. Request a demo today and learn how SmartCare™ can support your organization.

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