How Investing in Behavioral Health Quality Initiatives Can Improve Health System Outcomes

A robust quality management program considers a patient’s care across the patient journey, encompassing multiple facets. By viewing elements of a patient’s care and measuring standards of care across this continuum, effective quality management enables organizations to improve patient outcomes.

When deployed correctly, a quality management program can improve outcomes related to:  

  • Patient volumes 
  • Provider efficiency 
  • Patient access 
  • Provider processes 
  • Patient experiences 
  • Financial success  

A quality management program can also enable organizations to assess transitions of care throughout the health system and into the community – for example, ensuring patients receive behavioral health follow-up after a related ER visit.

While making data actionable is a key goal for most health systems, it can be an intensive undertaking. Fortunately, leveraging tools like telehealth and partnering with organizations that specialize in quality management can be a big help.

In this blog, I’ll share my insights as Executive Director of Quality at Iris Telehealth and offer advice on how leveraging a strategic partnership can support a health system’s commitment to quality.

Looking at data through the lens of behavioral health helps identify correlations between condition 

Integrating behavioral health can often come with concerns around sustainability, but data shows that it can improve the patient’s overall health outcomes.

For example, the American Psychological Association (APA) highlights that behavioral conditions like depression and anxiety can worsen medical outcomes. They go on to say that integrating behavioral health care can help treat conditions like diabetes and improve medical adherence and delay the disease’s onset.

From a data standpoint, an organization can track a patient’s A1C data and see if it’s improving – they can even observe how it’s connected to something like their cardiovascular health or any number of other health conditions.

Pulling all that information together gives an organization the ability to identify where there might be correlations between conditions. Delving into this level of detail requires resources, and unfortunately, many health systems don’t have enough.

However, partnering with a quality-focused organization with behavioral health expertise can help your health system make the most of your data and set up effective reporting workflows to give a bigger picture of your behavioral health service line.

Figuring out the right reports for your goals will help your team effectively visualize your data   

Approaching your data through a quality management lens can help health systems understand how changes improve metrics or identify if a new solution is needed.  

At Iris, we help illustrate this data through customized reports. Here’s the approach we take when working with health systems: 

  1. Determine priorities: We review the health system’s determined priorities, see how they intersect with our focus, and assess what we can work on together.  
  1. Data compilation: Once we know what priorities and goals the health system wants to achieve, we provide them with visualizations of the data.  
  1. Assessment and collaboration: After providing the health system with data visualization, we analyze it together to identify opportunities for improvement and then work together to address those opportunities and make meaningful changes.  
  1. Tracking begins: We track how the data evolves to determine what actions have been effective or not and continue working to improve until the objective is met. 
  1. Sustaining change: We continue to monitor data even after we’ve met a target so we can make sure that success is sustained over time.  

One example of how we might leverage data to support a health system is through volume assessment. Let’s say an organization is evaluating whether to decrease therapy appointment times from 60 minutes to 45. Using a tandem measurement, such as performing depression screening consistently, can help assess whether and how the decrease in time affects the care processes as well as whether there is any effect on patient outcomes. Additionally, measuring patient satisfaction before and after the change in appointment timing can help organizations determine how it affects a patient’s perception of their care and the organization.  

Looking at these three factors together would enable us to see a full picture of the effect one change has on the entire patient care experience. Importantly, it also provides data that can help inform the organization’s analysis of return on investment.  

There are many factors that contribute to an affected metric – whether that be communication or even a complicated technology platform. Whatever the challenge may be, dedicated support can help assess the issue and come to a solution.  

Tracking quality data helps put patients first and helps determine if your solutions are financially sustainable 

Quality management is here to help people. However, an important thing to note is that we can’t really know if we’re taking care of them well unless we track the data. There must be some kind of measure — just like runners who look at their times or distance. How do they know that they can do a marathon if they’re not actually keeping track of their miles? 

On the financial side, when you look at a metric like no-shows, addressing challenges in this area can help improve sustainability. 

As another example, tracking depression screening scores using a validated tool, such as the PHQ-9, can provide objective data regarding a patient’s progress and can help inform their treatment plan. For example, if their depression screening results indicate improvement, it provides an opportunity to assess (with the patient) whether they can transition to less frequent visits or possibly even move on from therapy.  This tracking not only demonstrates to the provider and patient the progress a patient has made, it can also improve access for new patients by opening up slots in the provider’s schedule. 

Where Iris Telehealth fits in 

The benefit of having a quality management solution in place at your health system is the ability to look at a patient’s health outcomes across all specialties and see where there may be intersections between how specialties are working together and where opportunities to collaborate may lie. 

If you’d like to learn more about how quality management could benefit your health system, please don’t hesitate to contact us today. You can reach out to someone here!

Best Practices for Hospitals Addressing Behavioral Health Platform Integration

When health systems work to implement a new platform, not only do they need to ensure new platforms integrate into their current technologies, but they also must get team buy-in and ensure it makes their workflows and systems easier — not more complicated.

For their behavioral health services in particular, many health systems rely on telehealth to help them reach patients. However, not all platforms are created equal and there’s much to consider when choosing which partner or platform to integrate across your organization.

In this blog, we will walk through how hospitals are addressing behavioral health platform integration, important considerations, and the difference a technology-neutral partner can make to daily operations.

For many health systems, customized interfaces are expensive and labor-intensive

In 2017, the American Hospital Association released data on the importance of interoperability in healthcare and how connected, shared health information can help achieve the best possible outcomes.

When looking at barriers to exchange and interoperability in healthcare, they found:

  • 63% of receiving providers lack compatible technology
  • 57% report exchange challenges across different vendor platforms
  • 37% found it difficult to match or identify the correct patient between systems
  • 35% reported exchange with outside systems to be costly
  • 28% said that customized interfaces are expensive and labor intensive

Excellent platform integration means prioritizing patient and provider usability

Hospitals want the patient and provider experience to be seamless, and part of that is ensuring all platforms work together, don’t create extra steps, and maintain security protocols. That’s why it’s important to think through what interoperability looks like and the components related to patient and provider experience.

Let’s take a closer look at a few of these points:

  • Patient experience: Integrating platforms that seamlessly work with an organization’s existing systems creates a better experience for patients. Instead of having to log in to multiple platforms for things like therapy and appointment setting, having everything in one place can help create a more seamless, accessible experience.
  • Provider experience: On the provider side, onboarding behavioral health technology that requires staff training can create a barrier to entry and utilize more of the hospital’s already strained resources and time. For example, if a provider is using Epic for one part of their job and a separate system for note-taking, they will need to learn a new operating system and create new logins.

On-premise systems and cloud-based platforms come with inherent differences and considerations

Another important consideration when looking at implementing new behavioral health technology is the whether the systems require on-premises set-up or operate as a cloud-based platform.

Here are a few key differences and considerations:

  • On-premises system: For on-premises, a company will need to bring in and set up their own servers and the hospital will need to determine if the servers will need to be set-up on their local network. Additionally, there will need to be upkeep and management of on-site equipment.
  • Cloud-based platform: For cloud-based platforms, there are other considerations when it comes to security. For example, will the new system be able to access patient records and their billing system? Additionally, what is the usability like?

With all these considerations in mind, it’s clear there’s a lot hospitals must account for when assessing what platform will best support their telehealth for behavioral health needs.

Technology-neutral partnership means no additional set-up or maintenance

Working with a technology-neutral partner means health systems don’t need to worry about on-site installation or integrating a brand new cloud based solution. Instead, the partner seamlessly integrates into a hospital’s existing technology. Technology-neutral partners can connect health systems with providers, integrate into existing workflows and systems, without additional set-up and maintenance.

Being technology-neutral also means that the telehealth partner is well-versed in a variety of equipment and Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) and can more easily troubleshoot challenges.

“We are committed to being technology neutral because we believe that’s how we are able to deliver the best care to our partners’ patients. We have worked with all different types of technology – from the most complex, intuitive, lifelike, robotic cameras to clunky, old monitors. And we can tell you with certainty: no matter what tech you decide to use, it will work.”
Ted Bryant, Regional Director of Clinical Operations, Iris Telehealth

A technology-neutral telehealth partner removes the requirement to integrate a new EMR system, provide additional technical support, and manage more equipment.

These benefits equate to an easier transition to a long-term telehealth program, cost savings, and increased patient and provider satisfaction.

A supportive partnership that’s technology-neutral removes the pain points of implementation

Implementing a platform requires ongoing technical support and maintenance – which can become a pain point for health systems.

That makes partnership with a supportive telehealth organization an essential piece of the puzzle.
At Iris Telehealth, the support we provide is on-going, helping our own behavioral health providers navigate partner systems, and being there 24/7 for IT support. That way, our providers aren’t utilizing a hospital’s IT team, and the clinicians can have someone to turn to regardless of the time of day.

“When we provide support, we all try to have that same positive attitude, knowing that what we’re doing is bigger than ourselves – it’s the whole realm of psychiatry and patient care. That’s why we always try to provide the best service and never try to complain about anything. Anytime someone comes and gives us any specific problems or tickets, we’re happy to help.”
Adam Monsen, Director of IT Services at Iris Telehealth

We also provide support through our Clinical Operations Managers (COMs), who are dedicated and work directly with providers. The COMs serve as the first line of support – whether they’re answering charting or EMR questions – our internal team is a lifeline for our clinicians.

“Our COMs ensure providers have a lifeline and someone who can answer their questions, so they’re not overtaxing the hospital’s IT or support teams with questions. Every question our COMs receive is one that the hospital doesn’t have to address via their IT or support teams. Any staff you add creates more work for the hospital, with Iris, we provide capacity without increasing demand.”
Sean Tominey, Vice President of Enterprise Sales

 

Next steps with a technology-neutral partner

If you’d like to learn more about Iris and how your organization can get started with a technology-neutral partner, contact us today to learn more.

How Telehealth Allows Providers to Better Focus on Patient Care

Iris clinicians facilitate top-quality behavioral health care – averaging 2.3M patient encounters every year. We are proud of the work our providers do every day to fill care gaps and support healthcare organizations across the country by providing their communities with timely access to exceptional care. Every month, we sit down with one of our providers to spotlight the amazing work they’re doing every day and the impact they’re making on the communities they serve. This month, we’re sitting down to talk with Dr. Abdon Galera!

Q. How did you find Iris and decide you wanted to be an Iris provider?

A. It was 2022 and I was just getting out of the Navy, after working over 10 years in psychiatry, and I wanted to do something new. I put my profile up on LinkedIn and I found Iris. The Iris recruiters were much more receptive than other companies I talked to, and I had a better connection with them.

Q. How does telehealth compare to in-person care?

A. There’s not much difference with in-person care and telepsychiatry. The advantage of telepsychiatry is that it’s a force multiplier. So, you’re able to bridge the gap between time and space with telepsychiatry. You can reach more people in more places than you normally could in person.

Q. How do you foster connection in a virtual environment? 

A. There’s really no difference between in person and telepsych. You just explain the technology, especially those who are not used to technology. But once they get used to it, it’s pretty much like a face-to-face interaction. A lot of patients can be somewhat uncomfortable with it at the first, but they realize that there’s not a enough  in-person psychiatry providers, and telehealth is the best way to get the care they need – virtual  becomes natural to them after a while.

Q. As a healthcare professional, how do you manage work-life balance?

A. Work-life balance is much easier with telepsychiatry. The hours are still the same, but you no longer factor in the commute. So, instead of commuting now, I get to exercise, cook for the family, or drop off the kids — those simple things that you can’t do in person because of the commute.

Even if the commute is only like 15 minutes, you have to get ready. It’s easier to get ready with telepsych because, you put on your clothes, get out of bed, go to your office, and that’s pretty much it.

But there’s, there’s time to do things that are important for the family and myself.

Q. What is the most rewarding part of your job?

A. The most rewarding part of my job is being able to serve the underserved population over at Modesto – an FQHC. A lot of their patients are underprivileged, and I get to provide psychiatric care for them, and that’s pretty much the most rewarding part of my job.

It’s being there for this population I’ve always loved.

Even in school when I was training in San Francisco, helping the underprivileged population is what I really wanted to do. I’m able to do that with telepsych. I’m over in San Diego, so there’s not much need where I live, but there is in Modesto where I work.

Q. What do you love about working with Iris?

A. I love Iris. Working with Iris is efficient – instead of looking for who to blame they fix the problem. A simple example is technology. If something’s not working, it gets fixed the next day. They put a lot of energy into trying to fix the problem so I can be productive and see patients. So, that’s the number one.

And our  Practice Managers have a seat at the table where we practice. So, they iron out any creases or smooth out difficulties. That’s what I like. It’s very efficient.

I just love my job. I get to do what I need to do and take care of patients. That’s my number one. And, their goal is for me to be able to do that.

Q. Why do you think telehealth is important to the future of mental health care?  

A. Teletherapy is going to be important because we’re going to have an aging, growing population. The boomers are going to be getting older, and there’s not a lot of providers to facilitate care.

Telehealth is a force multiplier, and we can help mitigate some of those shortages with telepsychiatry.

Plus, the newer population, the millennials and Gen Z are more comfortable with technology. So, they’ll be more open to this kind of care.

Really, it’s about bringing the gap, being there where a provider normally wouldn’t be.

Q. What advice would you give someone new to telehealth?

A. I would keep an open mind, get familiar with the technology, and treat it as just seeing a regular patient in person. I’d also say embrace the advantages of telepsychiatry versus the disadvantages, which there aren’t many. But really, it’s just about learning and being patient with the technology.

At Iris, we believe our providers should be respected, valued, and applauded for the work they do, and we couldn’t be more proud to say, “thank you” to our very own Dr. Abdon Galera. If you’d like to learn more about working for Iris Telehealth, contact us today.

Telehealth in Action: Meet our Practice Managers!  

At Iris Telehealth, our Practice Managers play a crucial role in our support strategy, fostering long-term success through effective communication and collaboration between partners and providers.  

This approach positions patients to get the highest level of care while also helping support the provider’s well-being. 

For providers, Practice Managers address any and all needs clinicians may have while working at their clinic. Whenever providers need extra support, the Practice Managers advocate on their behalf and help ensure they have everything they need to succeed in their roles.  

Practice Managers streamline credentialing, scheduling, and IT support  

The Iris Practice Managers hold a unique position unlike any other within the organization. The Practice Managers act as the primary point of contact for providers and organizations, whether they need a little extra support or are simply having a difficult day. This team communicates and collaborates across various departments to help solve any challenges that come up for our providers.  

Additionally, Practice Managers hold recurring meetings that serve as checkpoints for provider satisfaction. This allocated time creates a space for providers to share anything on their mind with their Practice Manager. 

The Practice Managers are dedicated to creating a supportive environment where providers can thrive without worrying about logistics or administrative tasks.  

Between credentialing, scheduling coordination, and technical support, the Practice Management team undertakes many tactical tasks that help contribute to a positive provider experience. 

Practice Managers handle provider logistics, letting partners focus on daily operations 

Practice Managers wear many hats. They are problem-solvers tackling challenges and advocating for providers whenever necessary. The down-stream effects of this high level of support allows partners to focus on their daily operations rather than assisting with IT support or virtual provider management.  

Here are a few benefits Practice Managers bring to Iris providers:  

  • Personal support: Our Practice Managers fosters strong relationships with our providers, they are dedicated to offering their support and creating a comfortable environment where providers can openly address any concerns they have, whether it be personal or professional.  
  • Logistical help: Practice Managers work to ensure providers are happy with their schedule, from PTO to patient follow-ups. For instance, if a provider expresses a concern about their schedule, their Practice Manager can help them figure out best course of action. For example, they would promptly meet with the provider’s clinic to address the scheduling challenge and focus on optimizing logistics and implementing best practices. As a result, the provider’s schedule can better align with their preferences. 
  • Technical support: The Practice Managers assist providers who many need extra help with technology. Whether that’s getting their equipment set up or helping them get comfortable with the partner’s EMR system. Even if a provider finds technology challenging, Practice Managers walk them through each step to make sure they have everything they need.  

Practice Managers help increase provider retention and continuity of care for patients                                         

Our Practice Managers provide ample benefits to our partner relationships, too. They act as a designated mediator for any challenging decisions and provide a helpful buffer between a provider and their clinic.  

Additionally, they ensure providers have what they need for long-term success and job satisfaction, which in-turn translates to increased provider retention and continuity of care for patients.   

The support Practice Managers provide can’t be overstated as they serve as a dedicated resource for all questions organizations might have during and after the onboarding process.  

Once the Iris provider has joined the team, the Practice Manager partners with the organization every step of the way to ensure seamless operations, effective communication, and a positive working relationship that benefits everyone.  

Practice Managers collaborate with other departments to ensure providers have all the necessary resources  

Through effective cross-departmental collaboration, Practice Managers do their best to ensure providers have the necessary resources and support to thrive in their roles.  

This cross-departmental collaboration ensures licensing requirements are met, technology is properly implemented, and providers have all the information they need around benefits and compensation. 
 
Here are a few examples of this collaboration: 

  • Clinical Hiring: To determine the best organizational fit for a provider, the Practice Management team works closely with clinical hiring to find the perfect placement. They also work together to find a start date that works best for the provider and partner.  
  • Medical Staff Services (MSS): Practice Managers collaborate with the MSS department to navigate telehealth regulations, clinician licensing across multiple states, and compliance with state-based levels of practice authority for nurse practitioners. By leaving the logistics of credentialing and licensing to the MSS team and Practice Managers, clinicians can focus on providing care. 
  • Payroll: Practice Managers ensure payroll accuracy by verifying hours. This process overall guarantees that our providers are being compensated fairly and timely. 

Practice Managers are always ready to support    

Here’s a look at just some of the ways our teams have been able to effectively support our Iris Telehealth providers:  

“There was real care taken to make a good match between my clinic and me, and my Practice Manager helped ensure that our connection was smooth and strong. I couldn’t ask for better support!”  
 
– Dale McQueeney, MS, RN, PMHNP-BC 

 “Ted Bryant, the Senior Manager of Clinical Operations, is amazing. He’s always positive and is always saying, ‘You’re a great doctor!’ It makes a difference to feel like you’re not just a cog in the machine, but you’re a person. I don’t know what it would be like to work for another telehealth company, but I can’t imagine anything better than working for Iris.” 

– Dr. Mark Miceli, MD 

“One of the things I love about working with Iris is the support. For example, Drew Sadler, my Practice Manager, has provided amazing support and the IT team is always ready to help.” 
 
– Nicole Bradbury, LCSW 

“The staff I have worked with at Iris, for example, like David Mariano and Lauren Katz, have been really supportive in advocating for whatever I need. They check in with me once in a while to make sure that I’m continuing to be supported and that I’m happy with Iris. There are a lot of organizations that don’t always prioritize clinicians. Iris does that, which I really enjoy.” 

– Veronica Im, LCSW 

Where Iris Telehealth fits in 

Iris believes the well-being of our providers holds significance, as it directly impacts their ability to deliver high-quality care to our patients. Our Practice Managers ensure that providers receive the necessary support to assist our partners and patients effectively.  

If you’d like to learn more about our behavioral health services and the support we offer, contact us today!