An Examination of Perceptions in Integrated Care Practice

Successful integration of behavioral health and primary care services is informed by perceptions of its usefulness to the consumer. An examination of provider, staff and patient perceptions was conducted across five integrated care sites in order to describe and examine perceptions and level of satisfaction with integrated care. A quantitative study was conducted with data collected through surveys administered to 51 patients, 27 support staff, and 11 providers in integrated care settings. Survey responses revealed high levels of satisfaction with integration of primary and behavioral health services. Integrated care can be enhanced by addressing provider competency and confidence concerns through continued education, increased collaboration and utilization of diagnostic tools. This analysis provides evidence to support that successful integration increases access to mental healthcare, which is instrumental in reduction of the mental health treatment gap by scaling up services for mental and substance use disorders among individuals with chronic medical conditions.