AHRQ’s Innovations Exchange Highlights Models That Integrate Behavioral Health and Primary Care

The latest issue of AHRQ’s Health Care Innovations Exchange profiles programs that have successfully implemented new integrated primary care models. One Minnesota program redesigned the way primary care practices identify, treat, and get paid for providing mental health services. Collaborating with non-profit health plans, multiple medical groups, the Minnesota Department of Human Services, employers, and patients, the Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement developed a more efficient system for the treatment of patients with depression. Known as Depression Improvement Across Minnesota Offering a New Direction, or DIAMOND, health plans pay practices a flat monthly rate for providing a bundled set of services to eligible patients. Practices follow the DIAMOND care model and receive monthly performance reports based on monthly process and outcomes data measures for depression care. The initiative has resulted in high levels of remission and treatment response among patients and high levels of provider satisfaction. Access more innovation profiles and tools related to integrated primary care on the Innovations Exchange Web site, which contains more than 775 searchable innovations and 1,525 Quality Tools.