Impact of Behavioral Health Consultant Intervention on Health Outcomes in an Integrated Primary Care Setting

Integrated Primary Care Models are fast gaining popularity, and often being advocated as an important step in enhancing patient care within a primary care setting. Several studies have shown a positive impact of Behavioral Health Consultant (BHC) intervention in terms of patient satisfaction, improvement in patient symptom scores and global mental functioning. However, additional studies are needed to assess if integrated behavioral health consultations can demonstrate measurable outcome improvements to quantify the benefits of this approach, related to some of the most commonly seen and treated medical diseases in a primary care setting. This study aims to measure three outcomes: change in HbA1c levels, PHQ-9 scores (validated clinical scale for depression), and compliance rates for follow-up of patients in a primary care setting before and after BHC intervention and to determine if there is a statistically significant change related to these health outcomes