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22-12-2022 | Care | Original Paper

Federally Qualified Health Centers Use of Telehealth to Deliver Integrated Behavioral Health Care During COVID-19

Authors: Brianna M. Lombardi, Lisa de Saxe Zerden, Catherine Greeno

Published in: Community Mental Health Journal | Issue 2/2024

Abstract

Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) that provide comprehensive health services, including integrated behavioral health (IBH), transitioned to deliver care via telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study explored how FQHCs adapted IBH services using telehealth. A mixed-method design was used, pairing a survey disseminated to FQHC administrators with a structured interview. Of the 46 administrators who participated in the survey, 14 (30.4%) reported delivering IBH using telecommunication prior to the pandemic. Since COVID-19, almost all of the FQHCs surveyed used telecommunication to deliver IBH (n = 44, 95.7%). Nine interviews with FQHC administrators resulted in the four themes: telehealth was essential; core components of IBH were impacted; payment parity and reimbursement were a concern; and telehealth addressed workforce issues. Findings confirm the necessity of telehealth for FQHCs during COVID-19. However due to the lack of co-location, warm-handoffs and other core components of IBH were limited.

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Title: Federally Qualified Health Centers Use of Telehealth to Deliver Integrated Behavioral Health Care During COVID-19
Authors: Brianna M. Lombardi
Lisa de Saxe Zerden
Catherine Greeno
Publication date: 22-12-2022
Publisher: Springer US
Keywords: Care
COVID-19
Telemedicine
Published in: Community Mental Health Journal / Issue 2/2024
Print ISSN: 0010-3853
Electronic ISSN: 1573-2789
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-022-01070-1

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Federally Qualified Health Centers Use of Telehealth to Deliver Integrated Behavioral Health Care During COVID-19

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