A digital platform that connects primary care patients to behavioral health services reduced hospital visits while increasing access to outpatient care, according to a new study published in the December issue of the American Journal of Managed Care.
Researchers from Independence Blue Cross, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and digital health vendor NeuroFlow analyzed claims data from nearly 13,000 IBX members with commercial health plans between January 2021 and July 2023. Half of the members saw primary care clinicians using a digital care navigation platform, while the other half saw providers who were not using the platform. The study tracked behavioral health outcomes and costs before and after the tool’s implementation.
Patients whose providers used the platform were 68% more likely to receive outpatient behavioral healthcare, 33% less likely to visit the ED for behavioral health issues and 43% less likely to be admitted for mental health-related reasons.
Medical spending dropped $27.63 per member per month 18 months after implementation, despite the uptick in utilization of outpatient services.
“Our goal was simple. We wanted to see how integrating a digital platform with care navigation into primary care could change access to behavioral health services,” Aaron Smith-McLallen, PhD, director of data science and health outcomes at Independence Blue Cross and senior author on the study, said in a news release. “The results were clear; it not only improves care but also lowers costs.”
