Behavioral Health Integrator

Patient engagement through electronic health apps are one solution to the need for timely and ongoing patient support. Join us to discuss a program to support mental health through an integrated behavioral health model using a mental health app at Cambridge Health Alliance. The session discussed how apps can address gaps in mental health care, the lessons learned in effective implementation of use of a mental health app in a safety-net clinic, and provide a rubric for evaluating health apps for your patients and use in your mental health service.

Although health centers have more options than ever to use electronic tools to engage patients in care, selecting those that most effectively further the goal of providing high-quality and efficient patient care is challenging. In this explainer, we consider three types of tools that health centers may invest in: Remote Patient Monitoring, Electronic Patient Engagement, and mHealth Personal Apps. By understanding what they are and how they are implemented, their advantages and disadvantages, and how they align with value-based care and the clinical workflow, health centers can choose the suite of tools that best serve their patient needs.

The AHRQ QuestionBuilder app helps patients and caregivers prepare for medical appointments and maximize visit time, allowing them to capture questions, photos of needed information such as pill bottles and insurance cards, and even skin conditions.

This HIMSS article published in 2014 discusses opportunities for use of Mobile Health tools for helping people better manage chronic illnesses. The authors identify that "mHealth offers patients a greater sense of connectedness to care providers, improved sense of well-being and increased satisfaction with the care experience."