Integrated Behavioral Health in Pediatrics Clinic

A study led by Andrea Spencer, MD, on integrated behavioral healthcare in the Boston Medical Center Pediatrics clinic was published in the Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved and also given a press release.  The study looked at patient engagement and outcomes around mental health care with a psychiatrist who has been embedded in the clinic in 2013. In that time period, 211 patients were referred to the psychiatrist.  The study found that 74% of patients who were referred completed an evaluation.  It also found that younger children, children with a history of therapy and children who had more severe symptoms and higher levels of psychiatric comorbidity were more likely to engage with services.  Overall, this model proved successful, and is addressing a significant need among the patient population.  Read the press release here, and the abstract of the article here.