Abstract
The purpose of this Integrated Care Practice Change and Quality Improvement (ICPCQI) initiative was to evaluate the impact of wellness and relaxation and group psycho-education on health out-comes in an integrated care setting. Individuals diagnosed with mental illness and a co-occurring chronic medical condition participated in the ICPCQI initiatives which were run by peer support and wellness experts in an integrated care setting over the one-year project implementation period. Evaluation of outcome measures revealed an overall decline of 8.3% (p < 0.0001) and 7.3% (p < 0.0001) in the average systolic and diastolic blood pressure respectively. There was a 12.3% (p = 0.02) reduction on the average PHQ-9 scores. GAD-7 (p = 0.9) scores had a mean reduction of 1.5%. These preliminary results suggest that the evidence-based ICPCQI initiatives positively impact health outcomes among individuals with mental illness and chronic medical conditions.
Highlights
One fourth of adults in the United States have a mental illness, and nearly half will develop at least one mental illness during their lifetime [1] [2]
The Community of Practice (CoP) for the Integrated Care Practice Change and Quality Improvement (ICPCQI) was formed by five community health centers who engaged in collective shared learning with a common interest and commitment to improve health outcomes of their patients with both medical and behavioral health problems using an integrated care practice model
Twenty-three (45.8%) participants completed both pre and post PHQ-9 evaluations, 35% completed pre and post knowledge tests and 85% had pre and post blood pressure documented. 83% of Cobb CSB participants had pre and post blood pressure readings documented. These findings suggest that the Satcher Health Leadership Institute (SHLI) Integrated Care Practice Change and Quality Improvement Initiatives were generally successful in achieving its goals
Summary
One fourth of adults in the United States have a mental illness, and nearly half will develop at least one mental illness during their lifetime [1] [2]. Mental illness exacerbates morbidity from the multiple chronic diseases with which it is associated, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, asthma, epilepsy and cancer [4]-[6]. This increased morbidity is a result of lower use of medical care and treatment adherence for concurrent chronic diseases and higher risk for adverse health outcomes [7]-[9]. Mental illness cost the United States an estimated $300 billion annually, which includes approximately $193 billion from lost earnings and wages and $24 billion in disability benefits [10] and $100 billion in health-care expenditures [11].
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