By Michael Gorton

Now, more than ever, Americans are struggling with mental health issues that fall under the behavioral health umbrella. Healthcare continues to see post-COVID demand for professional counseling and therapy to address residual stress, anxiety and depression, and in many circumstances, compounded by substance abuse. This trend is substantiated by President Biden’s 2022 State of the Union address when he announced an ambitious plan to address the nation's mental health needs, presenting it as a critical issue with bipartisan support.

COVID-19 reveals vulnerabilities to behavioral health
In the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, global prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by a massive 25%, according to a scientific brief released by the World Health Organization (WHO). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), mental health challenges relate to COVID-19–associated morbidity and mortality, with mitigation activities such as social distancing and home isolation being contributing factors. Unaddressed mental health issues impact all aspects of life, including:

• 44% of all sick days are due to mental health
• 34% of employee respondents have left a job for mental health reasons
• 2-3x overall healthcare costs for people with untreated behavioral health issues
• 25-35 million adults in the US have mental health issues that are untreated
• Mental health related hospitalization costs $7000 for a single visit

Source: John Hopkins, American Mental Health Institute, SupDoc Activation Research, Nature

According to the American College of Emergency Physicians, more than 80% of emergency room physicians say the mental healthcare system does not adequately serve patients in need. Those patients in need include 43.8 million Americans who experience mental illness, last year 60 percent did not receive any mental health services.

The surge of COVID-19 corresponded with a higher demand for behavioral-health services. Many at risk found it difficult to access care when needed the most. This unexpected demand severely strained clinical resources and revealed a shortage of providers and other vulnerabilities of the behavioral-health system. As a result, COVID-19 not only brought new attention to behavioral-health issues, but the pandemic also served as a catalyst that recognized a need for a new generation of innovative solutions that meet specific challenges and barriers to care.

Telehealth solution
Telehealth uses digital information and communication technologies, such as computers and mobile devices, to access health care services remotely. A rapid increase in the use of telehealth at the onset of COVID-19 pandemic initially helped physicians respond, under limiting and uncertain circumstances, to mental and physical health concerns of patients. At its pandemic peak, telehealth represented 13% of outpatient visits between March and August of 2020.

We continue to envision an expanded role for telehealth in the delivery of care following the pandemic with considerable interest in how telehealth impacts behavioral health care and affects access, cost, and quality. While the inception of telemedicine greatly expanded the convenience of remote care, virtual care now has the capability to go even farther, delivering a relationship-centered version of personalized holistic care with remote-capable services that support a patient’s entire digital healthcare journey - from wellness visits and preventative to urgent and chronic care - all within a virtual environment.

Virtual primary care model
Today’s most in-demand telehealth innovation is Virtual Primary Care (VPC), a modern healthcare delivery experience tailored specifically to complex medical realities: the primary care needs of an exploding population coupled with a shortage of primary care physicians; a demand for more convenient access to care; and ever-increasing measures to reduce costs. These challenges are powerfully addressed by VPC, a beneficial evolution of telemedicine that is a true digital health solution.

As stigmas around mental health are subsiding, behavioral health is becoming more accepted and accessed as part of VPC mode, connecting patients and providers face-to-face in real-time as part of a “virtual first” approach to care. This capability and patient experience provide numerous conveniences and benefits to behavioral healthcare – virtually accessed and delivered from the comfort, convenience and confidentiality of home.

How it works
Today’s patients and clinicians are accustomed to integrated technologies and self‑directed digital experiences. They expect nothing less from healthcare. A “virtual visit” experience using innovative telehealth technologies provide numerous benefits to delivering cost-efficient, quality care. Top primary care physicians are dedicated to understanding the patient’s needs and developing a tailored care plan with ongoing care. A relationship with a dedicated primary care physician is established, and patients interact virtually through multiple communication channels, including real-time video, mobile and secure messaging.

Virtual primary care also connects patients with integrated care teams, from therapists, psychologists and psychiatrists and other clinical healthcare professionals. This virtual environment is seamless, integrated and focused on interoperability, meaning providers can access and share all forms of health information across the complete spectrum of care. Physicians leverage software and tools that provide an interface for proactive clinical and administrative support.

Comprehensive behavioral health care teams, from therapy and counseling to psychiatry and medication management, work in close collaboration with primary care physicians to ensure treatment plans are coordinated and holistic. Depression and anxiety screenings help inform the most effective treatment plan, and pharmacogenetic testing ensures the right behavioral health medication is prescribed, the first time.

What will behavioral healthcare look like in the future?
The ideal model for the future of behavioral health is through virtual primary care: an integrated, tech-enabled system in which teams of primary care teams and specialty physicians work together to deliver exceptional, cost-effective quality care whenever and wherever needed - regardless of time or distance.

About The author: Michael Gorton is an entrepreneur, mentor and strategic visionary. He has decades of experience building companies and contributing industry-changing ideas that innovate telecommunications and healthcare. As founding CEO, Michael leads Recuro Health with its deliver of integrated digital solutions that are transforming healthcare from a reactive model to a personalized virtual care system. The Texas Business Hall of Fame appointed Michael to its 2022 Board of Directors based on his entrepreneurial spirit and personal dedication to integrity and community leadership.