Collaborative Care

When asked about how NIMH research can change mental health care, I have a short list of “best hits” that I offer as examples. High up on that short list is collaborative care. Developed initially for treating depression, collaborative care integrates mental health and primary care to provide patient-centered, comprehensive, accountable care. To ensure that patients receive comprehensive and evidence-based care, each patient has a team, including primary care providers and mental health specialists, monitoring progress, with clinical and community support for reaching treatment goals. Not only does each patient’s treatment plan articulate personal goals that are routinely measured by tools like the PHQ-9 depression scale, but treatments are actively changed if patients are not improving as expected until the clinical goals are achieved.
Source: NIMH Directors Blog - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Source Type: blogs