CTeL inTeL This Week: Pioneering Care and AI Innovations

Missouri Launches Pioneering Statewide Digital Health Initiative to Transform Crisis Response and Behavioral Health Care

The Missouri Behavioral Health Council (MBHC) has partnered with Chorus Innovations to launch MOConnect, a new digital health initiative aimed at transforming behavioral health care and crisis response across Missouri. This platform will integrate health assessments, crisis responses, and referrals, enhancing coordination among 988 crisis lines, mobile teams, and health centers. The initiative responds to a critical need highlighted by the over 58,000 calls received by Missouri’s 988 Lifeline in the past year, demonstrating the demand for a streamlined, technology-driven approach to crisis management.

MOConnect will use Chorus' adaptable technology to improve Missouri’s behavioral health services by creating a Crisis Response Hub for efficient dispatch management and a Referral and Resource Network to connect individuals with immediate support services. The platform also aims to provide data-driven insights to inform decision-making and enhance statewide care quality. The collaboration between MBHC and Chorus promises to not only advance Missouri's healthcare system but also serve as a pioneering model for other states. Read more.

WellSpan Health Taps Concert Health to Expand Same-Day Access to Behavioral Health Services

WellSpan Health, serving South Central Pennsylvania and Northern Maryland, has partnered with Concert Health to enhance access to behavioral health services, enabling same-day care integration alongside primary care across all of WellSpan's clinics. This collaboration utilizes Concert Health’s collaborative care model, which was established seven years ago to meld behavioral health with primary care effectively. The initiative aims to provide immediate follow-up through phone or video within 24-48 hours of a referral, offering symptom monitoring and evidence-based counseling, thereby addressing the critical demand for mental health services highlighted by long waitlists and lack of provider availability.

The partnership not only expands on WellSpan’s existing behavioral health services offered through WellSpan Philhaven but also introduces a novel approach to managing health care by significantly reducing emergency department visits for behavioral issues. By embedding Concert Health’s psychiatric providers into WellSpan’s primary care settings, the program ensures a holistic view of patient health, promoting efficient care coordination. The collaborative care model, a proven approach developed by University of Washington psychiatrists, emphasizes the interconnection of mental and physical health and is supported by WellSpan’s comprehensive application through its patient portal, enhancing the continuity and scope of care for patients across various insurance types, including Medicare and Medicaid. Read more.

Banner Health Bets Big on AI for Clinicians

Banner Health is deploying an AI tool across its 33 hospitals in six states to reduce the documentation workload for clinicians. Integrated within the electronic health record (EHR) system, this tool, developed by Regard, summarizes clinical notes to decrease computer time and improve care management support. This initiative is part of a broader movement where health systems use AI to handle administrative tasks, allowing clinicians to spend more time with patients. Susan Lee, Banner Health’s Physician Executive for Hospital-Based Medicine, emphasizes that this technology is meant to enhance, not replace, clinician interactions with patients by automating time-consuming tasks.

The implementation of this AI tool includes personalized training for clinicians, aiming to ensure effective use and encourage acceptance by showing how AI can augment their work. The technology's impact on documentation and care management will be monitored, focusing initially on how frequently clinicians use it and the accuracy of its outputs. As the tool is used more, it will evolve, becoming more sophisticated based on clinician feedback, which is critical for refining the technology and maintaining clinician trust in this AI-driven approach. This feedback loop will help Banner Health continue to shape the tool’s development and remain at the forefront of technological integration in healthcare. Read more.

What’s happening in Digital Health this week?

Grab your coffee (or tea, we like both too) and take a deep dive into what’s happening in our market this week.

Babyscripts teams up with Lyft to provide transportation to maternal health services

Digital maternal health company Babyscripts has partnered with Lyft Healthcare to provide free rides to in-person healthcare appointments for pregnant and postpartum individuals facing transportation barriers, aiming to improve access to maternal and infant health care and enhance care outcomes. Read more.

DHI Seed Grants Kickstart Four Groundbreaking Digital Health Projects

Four research teams at the University of Utah have received seed grants from the 2024 Inspiring Digital Health Innovations program to pioneer digital health projects aimed at improving mental health and rehabilitation through technology. These projects incorporate gamification and app-based solutions to train health behaviors and aid healthcare providers, fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration within the university to create competitive proposals for larger clinical trials. Read more.