Medical Family Therapy in Rural Community Health: A Longitudinal "Peek" into Integrated Care Successes.
Angela L LamsonJennifer L HodgsonFrancisco LimonCheng FengPublished in: Contemporary family therapy (2022)
Integrated behavioral health care (IBHC) continues to grow as an evidence-based service delivery model adopted by healthcare systems all over the world to better care for the holistic needs of patients and their families. Medical family therapy (MedFT), as a field, has offered innovation to IBHC models by delivering biopsychosocial-spiritual (BPS-S), relational, and family-oriented care across a variety of healthcare contexts. This article details a longitudinal review of a program, spanning 16 years, that grew from no behavioral health services to one that is highly integrated, and embeds MedFTs in a number of rural community health centers. This model highlights the importance of interdisciplinary teams, including Peek's clinical, operational, financial, and training worlds, as well as decision-making metrics for systems that predominately care for underserved and minoritized populations. The authors illustrate a framework for how the levels of primary care/behavioral healthcare collaboration relate to the work and practice of MedFTs as conceptualized through the MedFT Health Care Continuum and meet the BPS-S needs of diverse populations seeking pediatric, adult, and dental healthcare services. Also described are shifts made in the model over time based on (a) growth in cultural humility, (b) relationally-oriented practice, operations, finance, and training data, and (c) research informed decisions. Recommendations include ways MedFTs can facilitate provider and administrative buy-in, assess model fidelity, and strive for quality outcomes for patients.
Keyphrases
- healthcare
- primary care
- ejection fraction
- quality improvement
- newly diagnosed
- decision making
- affordable care act
- mental health
- prognostic factors
- patient reported outcomes
- young adults
- bone marrow
- health information
- electronic health record
- adipose tissue
- mesenchymal stem cells
- virtual reality
- insulin resistance
- deep learning
- weight loss
- big data
- genetic diversity
- childhood cancer
- oral health
- health insurance
- chronic pain