Clinical Pediatrics: Open Access
Open Access
ISSN: 2572-0775
ISSN: 2572-0775
Jessica Jeffrey
UCLA Behavioral Health Associates, USA
Posters & Accepted Abstracts: Clin Pediatr OA
In response to the charge of the triple aim health systems within the United States are increasingly adopting new strategies to promote quality and increase accountability in healthcare. The challenge is to efficiently assess, monitor, and guide patientsâ?? progress in their behavioral health treatment to optimize health outcomes. The UCLA behavioral health checkup (BHC) is an innovative real-time, cloud-based behavioral health assessment, clinician decision making, and outcomes monitoring tool. The BHC was implemented as a key component of the UCLA behavioral health associates (BHA) integrated behavioral health and primary care program operated within UCLA Health System. Components of successful integration included training of administrative and clinical staff in use of the BHC platform, including how best to introduce behavioral health screening and measurement to patients and caregivers. Between March 2014 and August 2017, the BHC was successfully integrated into two pediatric integrated behavioral healthcare clinics. 825 children, ages 6-18 (average age 12.6 years), completed at least one assessment on intake appointment. Caregivers completed 928 assessments on intake about youth ages 3-17 and the familyâ??s functioning. 221 children and 218 caregivers completed at least one follow-up assessment on the BHC. Using the mood and feelings questionnaire cutoff of â?¥8 for depression, the number of children with depressive symptoms decreased from 48% to 34% from baseline to first follow-up (n=160, p<0.01). Using the strengths and difficulties questionnaire cutoff of â?¥12 for total difficulties, the number of children with total difficulties decreased from 48% to 41% from baseline to first follow-up (n=221, p<0.05). Caregivers of BHA patients reported positive experiences with the BHC©. The administrative staff member reported being comfortable with introducing the BHC. 83% of clinicians rated the BHC results as very useful and 17% as somewhat useful in providing care (n=6).
E-mail: jjeffrey@mednet.ucla.edu