As South Carolina continues to face shortages in mental health providers, especially in rural areas, health systems are turning to collaborative care models supported by telehealth to reach more patients. Collaborative care models offer a team-based approach that integrates behavioral health treatment into the primary care setting. Rather than referring patients elsewhere for mental health services, care is coordinated within the primary care office.
“Telehealth has been huge for us in that we are a very rural state,” said Dr. Andrew Alkis, Lead Physician of Behavioral Healthcare Integration Program at Medical University of South Carolina's (MUSC) Center for Telehealth, noting that many communities struggle to access psychiatric services.
In South Carolina, a significant portion of the state is rural, and 14 of the 46 counties do not have a practicing psychiatrist, creating barriers for patients seeking care. To address these gaps, some primary care practices are using the collaborative care model, which involves coordinated care between the primary care provider, psychiatric consultant, and behavioral health care manager.
“The behavioral health care manager does the bulk of the work in this model,” said Candace Sprouse-McClam, Clinical Manager of the Collaborative Care Program at MUSC. “They are the ones who are doing brief interventions with the patient, such as motivational interviewing or brief CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy), and communicate between the patient, the psychiatric consultant, and the primary care physician.
Sprouse-McClam said telehealth allows psychiatric consultants to support care teams remotely, expanding access without requiring patients to travel long distances or seek specialty clinics. In addition to improving access, health systems using collaborative care report improved patient outcomes and increased efficiency, particularly in underserved areas.
As demand for mental health services continues to rise, Dr. Alkis said telehealth-enabled collaborative care is emerging as one strategy to expand access while making better use of the existing workforce.
“The model can improve outcomes, I think, in a lot of different ways,” Dr. Alkis said. “For one, I'm very hopeful that it can destigmatize seeking mental health treatment all around.”
