Abstract
Introduction: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and prompted by recent federal and state policy shifts impacting behavioral health care delivery, the use of telebehavioral health has rapidly increased. This qualitative study describes behavioral health provider perspectives on the use of telebehavioral health before and during the pandemic and how policy changes impacted access to and utilization of behavioral health services in Michigan. Materials and Methods: A convenience sample of 31 licensed and nonlicensed behavioral health providers operating in Michigan participated in semi-structured interviews between July and August 2020. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed by using inductive methods. Results: The thematic analysis resulted in four overarching themes: (1) increased access to care; (2) maintenance of quality of care; (3) minimal privacy concerns; and (4) client and provider satisfaction. Discussion: During and post-pandemic, providers need flexibility to determine whether in-person or telebehavioral health services, including audio-only, best meet client needs. Providers identified several populations for which telebehavioral health was less accessible: clients with serious mental illness and substance use disorder, those with no broadband Internet access, children, and older adults. Additional training in telebehavioral health service provision can positively impact quality of care. Conclusion: Policies that support reimbursement parity and expand provider use of telebehavioral health services should be maintained after the COVID-19 pandemic ends to avoid imposing barriers to accessing behavioral health care barriers post-pandemic.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 947-954 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Telemedicine and e-Health |
| Volume | 27 |
| Issue number | 8 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Aug 1 2021 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:The authors appreciate the support from their partners at Southwest Michigan Behavioral Health and the Community Mental Health Association of Michigan. They thank their partners for their guidance on study design and assistance with provider recruitment. They would also like to acknowledge graduate research assistant, Amanda Mauri, MPH for her federal policy recommendations and data collection contributions to the project.
Funding Information:
This project was funded by the University of Michigan Institute for Health care Policy and Innovation through the Policy Sprints Program (Grant No. 6-U81-HP-29300-06-06). Additional support was provided by the Health Resources and Services Administration (Grant No. U071062).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.
Keywords
- behavioral health
- mental health
- provider perspectives
- telebehavioral health
- telehealth
- telemedicine
- telepsychiatry
- workforce
PubMed: MeSH publication types
- Journal Article
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
