The last week of March saw diminished COVID-19 information on our list serves as members turned to their new clinic workflows and new normals. Large questions still remained about reimbursement for telework, workflows for integrated care teams and the sustainability of the current situation.

As a service to members and to the general public we will be posting weekly updates of our conversations and resource sharing efforts here. Because these are taken from email conversations, examples provided may refer to single clinics or situations. We hope this inspires, encourages and educates everyone as to the work that integrated care team members are doing in near real-time to the evolving pandemic. To Join CFHA and support integrated care, use this link: click to join.

Note that a compilation of key COVID-19 resources can be found on CFHA’s Technical Assistance website.

Links We Shared With Each Other

Supporting Healthcare Professionals

• https://yourhealth.methodisthealth.org/blog/managing-stress-and-building-resilience-for-healthcare-workers-during-covid-19
• https://jamanetwork.com/channels/health-forum/fullarticle/2764228?cmp=1
• https://3.basecamp.com/3730587/buckets/3459118/documents/2526704267

Telehealth

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4744872/
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5723163/
• https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/practice/telepsychiatry/toolkit/evidence-base
• https://www.cbsnews.com/news/teletherapy-connecting-therapists-and-clients-during-a-time-of-separation/

Patient Care

• https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/living-the-questions/201503/20-expert-tactics-dealing-difficult-people
• https://chcw.org/tips-for-helping-your-family-and-yourself-deal-with-the-isolation-of-staying-home-to-stay-safe/?fbclid=IwAR0Skp_MEOrIPKhuDBKzFpXIceev3DoPJq_hNCcdk4AwRu1dilqkiiSSaEA
• https://public.3.basecamp.com/p/DdMXjgoh8EqXn1Ev2yt7w7Do

Questions CFHA Members Are Asking

• Members are interested in resources, tools, and methods to foster resilience and facilitate de-stressing within the healthcare community. 
• Members are interested in ways to effectively deal with patients via telephonic appointments. 
• Members are interested in methods to maintain productivity during COVID-19 when BH providers seem to be losing a workflow.
• Members are looking for written guidelines or policies to reference when dealing with confidentiality in patients with COVID-19. 
• Members are interested in resources for helping primary care personnel of all stripes who are sidelined as volumes decrease. 

Member-Provided Information

Supporting Healthcare Professionals

• In an effort to destress, Access Community Health Centers put up a gratitude tree for employees to engage in gratitude. 

Telehealth

• The effectiveness of tele-mental health is supported by a number of journals and research papers (see links above). 
• Some clinics are tracking patients with high-risk diagnostic codes, (OCD, anxiety, depression, hypochondria, paranoia) medical conditions (diabetes, heart disease, asthma), and patients aged 65 and older for telehealth checkups. Providers run a PHQ or GAD, evaluate for safety and SDOH, check in with the patient’s well being and diagnosis, and “hand” them off to other tele-healthcare providers if necessary. Providers are billing for these “cold” calls using a CPT code if there is patient consent.

Patient Care

• Members shared resources and tips for dealing with difficult and stressed patients during the uncertainty of the pandemic. 
• Members recommendations on calls to patients:  reviewing the current social distancing practices, working with patients to develop an effective daily routine, and encouraging patients to remain physically active and socially connected.  
• Communication is key in promoting integration programs with medical care providers. Members shared the following tips for fostering successful integration. 
  • Communicate with medical care providers daily and maintain good relationships digitally
  • Encourage proactivity
  • Develop team and individual workflows
  • Send out information regarding BH services to medical care providers often to remind them of BH services
  • Create registry reports and follow up with patients often