Good news for clinics
Commenting on the study, Adam C. Powell, PhD, president of Payer+Provider Syndicate, said the “similar efficacy” of teleintegrated care and telereferral care for delivering behavioral health services in primary care is “good news for clinics,” because it suggests that clinicians may pick between the two modes of delivery and achieve similar outcomes.
“The resources available within a clinic may determine which of these approaches is most viable. The teleintegrated care approach requires the clinic to have more extensive resources locally,” Dr. Powell noted.
However, he pointed out that the study did not report relative costs of the two approaches, which may also be a factor in determining which one clinics choose to implement.
“Overall, the study shows that advances in telemedicine are making it possible for patients to access telepsychiatry and to achieve improvements in their mental health. Given the lack of access that many patients face, telepsychiatry offers one potential solution,” Dr. Powell concluded.
The SPIRIT study was funded by a grant from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute. Dr. Fortney and Dr. Powell have reported no relevant financial relationships.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.