Health IT

For Varsa Health, connected devices, care managers integral to behavioral health strategy

Varsa Health has a few pilot programs underway that illustrate its own approach to frequently underserved patient populations.

The varied approaches to behavioral health revolve around figuring out new ways to connect behavioral health specialists and care managers to primary care teams. Varsa Health has a few pilot programs underway that illustrate its own approach to frequently underserved patient populations.

An academic medical center is using Varsa Health’s platform to identify young adults at risk for behavioral health problems such as depression and anxiety. Patients are either directed to a kiosk within a provider’s office or are connected to a website through a mobile phone, tablet or computer. Users receive feedback based on their responses through short multimedia content tied to their health status. Care teams receive notifications for patients at an elevated risk for a behavioral health condition based their responses on the questionnaire. The goal is to do a better job of monitoring individuals with undiagnosed behavioral health conditions between appointments.

Another pilot includes a rural health system with a patient population dominated by people with serious mental illness. The idea is to reduce the gaps in follow-up care for its patients. Through mobile devices from patients or provided by case managers doing home visits, patients will be prompted to give outcomes data in a digital format. The idea is to gather information about patients’ health status from their perspective.

Care managers will direct patients to relevant content. Health systems could use
the information to increase adherence to care plans treatment, improve attendance for follow-up visits, and reduce hospital readmissions.

C0-founder Steve Sprieser was part of a group of entrepreneurs that talked about behavioral health needs their companies are targeted at Stanford Med X last month.

Sprieser said it spent several months focusing on the work flow of care managers and the potential to use email and text message as part of their interactions with patients. “We are trying to augment the work of case managers.”

He also talked about the importance of balancing the technology needs of hospitals with the needs of patients.

“You have to have a consumer -centric approach. But you have to be willing to integrate with [hospitals]. Technology out there has sucked because it has been sold to administrators without factoring in the needs of end users.”

Although improving communication between behavioral health patients, case managers and hospitals is important, it only addresses part of the challenge. Healthcare professionals are keen to better integrate medical information and behavioral health information, which tend to be separate. Something like depression could have a big impact on the ability to manage, say, a chronic condition such as diabetes. But the ability to integrate that information, the reluctance of some behavioral health professionals to provide that information as well as legal restrictions in different states can make that obstacle all but impossible to surmount easily.

Photo: Flickr user Leland Francisco

Shares0
Shares0