Patient and Provider Satisfaction with Asynchronous Versus Synchronous Telepsychiatry in Primary Care: A Secondary Mixed-Methods Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Asynchronous telepsychiatry (ATP) consultations are a novel form of psychiatric consultation. Studies comparing patient and provider satisfaction for ATP with that for synchronous telepsychiatry (STP) do not exist. Methods: This mixed-methods study is a secondary analysis of patients' and primary care providers' (PCPs) satisfaction from a randomized clinical trial of ATP compared with STP. Patients and their PCPs completed satisfaction surveys, and provided unstructured feedback about their experiences with either ATP or STP. Differences in patient satisfaction were assessed using mixed-effects logistic regression models, and the qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis with an inductive coding framework. Results: Patient satisfaction overall was high with 84% and 97% of respondents at 6 months reported being somewhat or completely satisfied with ATP and STP, respectively. Patients in the STP group were more likely to report being completely satisfied, to recommend the program to a friend, and to report being comfortable with their care compared with ATP (all p < 0.05). However, there was no difference between the patients in ATP and STP in perceived change in clinical outcomes (p = 0.51). The PCP quantitative data were small, and thus only summarized descriptively. Conclusions: Patients expressed their overall satisfaction with both STP and ATP. Patients in ATP reported more concerns about the process, likely because feedback after ATP was slower than that after STP consultations. PCPs had no apparent preference for STP or ATP, and reported implementing the psychiatrists' recommendations for both groups when such recommendations were made, which supports our previous findings. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02084979; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02084979.

Antidepressant Prescription Behavior Among Primary Care Clinician Providers After an Interprofessional Primary Care Psychiatric Training Program.

Primary care providers (PCPs) are increasingly called upon to screen for and treat depression. However, PCPs often lack the training to diagnose and treat depression. We designed an innovative 12-month evidence and mentorship-based primary care psychiatric training program entitled the University of California, Irvine (UCI) School of Medicine Train New Trainers Primary Care Psychiatry (TNT PCP) Fellowship and examined whether this training impacted clinician prescription rates for antidepressants. We retrieved information on 18,844 patients and 192 PCPs from a publicly insured health program in Southern California receiving care between 2017 and 2021. Of the 192 PCPs, 42 received TNT training and 150 did not. We considered a patient as exposed to the provider's TNT treatment if they received care from a provider after the provider completed the 1-year fellowship. We utilized the number of antidepressant prescriptions per patient, per quarter-year as the dependent variable. Linear regression models controlled for provider characteristics and time trends. Robustness checks included clustering patients by provider identification. After PCPs completed TNT training, "exposed" patients received 0.154 more antidepressant prescriptions per quarter-year relative to expected levels (p < 0.01). Clustering of standard errors by provider characteristics reduced precision of the estimate (p < 0.10) but the direction and magnitude of the results were unchanged. Early results from the UCI TNT PCP Fellowship demonstrate enhanced antidepressant prescription behavior in PCPs who have undergone TNT training. A novel, and relatively low-cost, clinician training program holds the potential to empower PCPs to optimally deliver depression treatment.

Primary Care Physician Adherence to Telepsychiatry Recommendations: Intermediate Outcomes from a Randomized Clinical Trial.

Objective:To compare clinical recommendations given by psychiatrists and the adherence to these recommendations by primary care physicians (PCP) following consultations conducted by asynchronous telepsychiatry (ATP) and synchronous telepsychiatry (STP).Materials and Methods:ATP and STP consultations were compared using intermediate data from a randomized clinical trial with adult participant enrollment between April 2014 and December 2017. In both study arms, PCPs received written recommendations from the psychiatrist after each encounter. Independent clinicians reviewed PCP documentation to measure adherence to those recommendations in the 6 months following the baseline consultation.Results:Medical records were reviewed for 645 psychiatrists' consult recommendations; 344 from 61 ATP consultations and 301 from 62 STP consultations. Of those recommendations, 191 (56%) and 173 (58%) were rated fully adherent by two independent raters for ATP and STP, respectively. In a multilevel ordinal logistic regression model adjusted for recommendation type and recommended implementation timing, there was no statistically significant difference in adherence to recommendations for ATP compared with STP (adjusted odds ratio = 0.91, 95% confidence interval = 0.51-1.62). The profiles of recommendation type were comparable between ATP and STP.Conclusions:This is the first PCP adherence study comparing two forms of telemedicine. Although we did not find evidence of a difference between ATP and STP; this study supports the feasibility and acceptability of ATP and STP for the provision of collaborative psychiatric care. Clinical Trial Identifier NCT02084979.

Reduction of Time on the Ground Related to Real-Time Video Detection of Falls in Memory Care Facilities: Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: Lying on the floor for a long period of time has been described as a critical determinant of prognosis following a fall. In addition to fall-related injuries due to the trauma itself, prolonged immobilization on the floor results in a wide range of comorbidities and may double the risk of death in elderly. Thus, reducing the length of Time On the Ground (TOG) in fallers seems crucial in vulnerable individuals with cognitive disorders who cannot get up independently. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the effect of a new technology called SafelyYou Guardian (SYG) on early post-fall care including reduction of Time Until staff Assistance (TUA) and TOG. METHODS: SYG uses continuous video monitoring, artificial intelligence, secure networks, and customized computer applications to detect and notify caregivers about falls in real time while providing immediate access to video footage of falls. The present observational study was conducted in 6 California memory care facilities where SYG was installed in bedrooms of consenting residents and families. Fall events were video recorded over 10 months. During the baseline installation period (November 2017 to December 2017), SYG video captures of falls were not provided on a regular basis to facility staff review. During a second period (January 2018 to April 2018), video captures were delivered to facility staff on a regular weekly basis. During the third period (May 2018 to August 2018), real-time notification (RTN) of any fall was provided to facility staff. Two digital markers (TUA, TOG) were automatically measured and compared between the baseline period (first 2 months) and the RTN period (last 4 months). The total number of falls including those happening outside of the bedroom (such as common areas and bathrooms) was separately reported by facility staff. RESULTS: A total of 436 falls were recorded in 66 participants suffering from Alzheimer disease or related dementias (mean age 87 years; minimum 65, maximum 104 years). Over 80% of the falls happened in bedrooms, with two-thirds occurring overnight (8 PM to 8 AM). While only 8.1% (22/272) of falls were scored as moderate or severe, fallers were not able to stand up alone in 97.6% (247/253) of the cases. Reductions of 28.3 (CI 19.6-37.1) minutes in TUA and 29.6 (CI 20.3-38.9) minutes in TOG were observed between the baseline and RTN periods. The proportion of fallers with TOG >1 hour fell from 31% (8/26; baseline) to zero events (RTN period). During the RTN period, 76.6% (108/141) of fallers received human staff assistance in less than 10 minutes, and 55.3% (78/141) of them spent less than 10 minutes on the ground. CONCLUSIONS: SYG technology is capable of reducing TOG and TUA while efficiently covering the area (bedroom) and time zone (nighttime) that are at highest risk. After 6 months of SYG monitoring, TOG was reduced by a factor of 3. The drastic reduction of TOG is likely to decrease secondary comorbid complications, improve post-fall prognosis, and reduce health care costs.

Clinical Outcomes of Asynchronous Versus Synchronous Telepsychiatry in Primary Care: Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Asynchronous telepsychiatry (ATP; delayed-time) consultations are a novel form of psychiatric consultation in primary care settings. Longitudinal studies comparing clinical outcomes for ATP with synchronous telepsychiatry (STP) are lacking. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to determine the effectiveness of ATP in improving clinical outcomes in English- and Spanish-speaking primary care patients compared with STP, the telepsychiatry usual care method. METHODS: Overall, 36 primary care physicians from 3 primary care clinics referred a heterogeneous sample of 401 treatment-seeking adult patients with nonurgent psychiatric disorders. A total of 184 (94 ATP and 90 STP) English- and Spanish-speaking participants (36/184, 19.6% Hispanic) were enrolled and randomized, and 160 (80 ATP and 80 STP) of them completed baseline evaluations. Patients were treated by their primary care physicians using a collaborative care model in consultation with the University of California Davis Health telepsychiatrists, who consulted with patients every 6 months for up to 2 years using ATP or STP. Primary outcomes (the clinician-rated Clinical Global Impressions [CGI] scale and the Global Assessment of Functioning [GAF]) and secondary outcomes (patients' self-reported physical and mental health and depression) outcomes were assessed every 6 months. RESULTS: For clinician-rated primary outcomes, ATP did not promote greater improvement than STP at 6-month follow-up (ATP vs STP, adjusted difference in follow-up at 6 months vs baseline differences for CGI: 0.2, 95% CI -0.2 to 0.6; P=.28; and GAF: -0.6, 95% CI -3.1 to 1.9; P=.66) or 12-month follow-up (ATP vs STP, adjusted difference in follow-up at 12 months vs baseline differences for CGI: 0.4, 95% CI -0.04 to 0.8; P=.07; and GAF: -0.5, 95% CI -3.3 to 2.2; P=.70), but patients in both arms had statistically and clinically significant improvements in both outcomes. There were no significant differences in improvement from baseline between ATP and STP on any patient self-reported ratings at any follow-up (all P values were between .17 and .96). Dropout rates were higher than predicted but similar between the 2 arms. Of those with baseline visits, 46.8% (75/160) did not have a follow-up at 1 year, and 72.7% (107/147) did not have a follow-up at 2 years. No serious adverse events were associated with the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first longitudinal study to demonstrate that ATP can improve clinical outcomes in English- and Spanish-speaking primary care patients. Although we did not find evidence that ATP is superior to STP in improving clinical outcomes, it is potentially a key part of stepped mental health interventions available in primary care. ATP presents a possible solution to the workforce shortage of psychiatrists and a strategy for improving existing systems of care. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02084979; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02084979.

A Literature Review Comparing Clinicians' Approaches and Skills to In-Person, Synchronous, and Asynchronous Care: Moving Toward Competencies to Ensure Quality Care.

Introduction: Research is increasing on asynchronous technologies used by specialist clinicians and primary care, including e-mail, text, e-consultation, and store-and-forward (asynchronous) options. Studies typically describe interventions and care outcomes rather than development of clinical skills for using technology. Methods: This article attempts to compare clinicians' approaches to, and skills for, asynchronous technologies versus in-person and synchronous (i.e., video) care. Literature from technology, health care, pedagogy, and business were searched from 2000 to 2019 for title words, including synchronous (e.g., video, telemental or behavioral health, telepsychiatry), asynchronous (e.g., app, e-consultation, e-mail, text, sensor in a wearable device), education, clinical, and consultation. Results: From a total of 4,812 potential references, two authors (D.M.H., J.T.) found 4,622 eligible for full text review and found 381 articles directly relevant to the concept areas in combination for full text review. However, exclusion criteria subtracted 305, leaving a total of 76 articles. While in-person and synchronous care are similar in many ways, the clinical approach to asynchronous care has many differences. As asynchronous technologies and models of care are feasible and effective, often for consultation, an outline of patient, primary care provider, and specialist clinician goals and skills are presented. Few studies specifically discuss skills or competencies for asynchronous care, but components from published clinical informatics, video, social media, and mobile health competencies were organized into Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education domains. Conclusions: Further implementation of science research is needed for asynchronous technology interventions, as well as clinician competencies using asynchronous technologies, to ensure optimal outcomes for patients in health care.

Asynchronous Telepsychiatry Interviewer Training Recommendations: A Model for Interdisciplinary, Integrated Behavioral Health Care.

Objective: Asynchronous telepsychiatry (ATP) is an integrative model of behavioral health service delivery that is applicable in a variety of settings and populations, particularly consultation in primary care. This article outlines the development of a training model for ATP clinician skills. Methods: Clinical and procedural training for ATP clinicians (n = 5) was provided by master's-level, clinical mental health providers developed by three experienced telepsychiatrists (P.Y. D.H., and J.S) and supervised by a tele-psychiatrist (PY, GX, DL) through seminar, case supervision, and case discussions. A training manual and one-on-one sessions were employed for initial training. Unstructured expert discussion and feedback sessions were conducted in the training phase of the study in year 1 and annually thereafter over the remaining 4 years of the study. The notes gathered during those sessions were synthesized into themes to gain a summary of the study telepsychiatrist training recommendations for ATP interviewers. Results: Expert feedback and discussion revealed three overarching themes of recommended skill sets for ATP interviewers: (1) comprehensive skills in brief psychiatric interviewing, (2) adequate knowledge base of behavioral health conditions and therapeutic techniques, and (3) clinical documentation, integrated care/consultation practices, and e-competency skill sets. The model of training and skill requirements from expert feedback sessions included these three skill sets. Technology training recommendations were also identified and included: (1) awareness of privacy/confidentiality for electronic data gathering, storage, management, and sharing; (2) technology troubleshooting; and (3) video filming/retrieval. Conclusions: We describe and provide a suggested training model for the use of ATP integrated behavioral health. The training needs for ATP clinicians were assessed on a limited convenience sample of experts and clinicians, and more rigorous studies of training for ATP and other technology-focused, behavioral health services are needed. Clinical Trials number: NCT03538860.

Asynchronous Telepsychiatry: A Component of Stepped Integrated Care.

OBJECTIVE: Integrated behavioral healthcare models typically involve a range of consultation options for mental healthcare. Asynchronous telepsychiatry (ATP) consults may be an additional potential choice, so we are conducting a 5-year clinical trial comparing ATP with synchronous telepsychiatry (STP) consultations. METHODS: Patients referred by primary care providers are randomly assigned to one of the two treatment groups, ATP or STP. Clinical outcome, satisfaction, and economic data are being collected from patients for 2 years at 6-month intervals. RESULTS: Baseline characteristics for the first 158 patients and case examples of ATP are presented. CONCLUSION: Implementing ATP in existing integrated behavioral healthcare models could make mental healthcare more efficient.

Inflammation Markers and Major Depressive Disorder in Patients With Chronic Heart Failure: Results From the Sertraline Against Depression and Heart Disease in Chronic Heart Failure Study.

BACKGROUND: Major depressive disorder (MDD) and chronic heart failure (CHF) have in common heightening states of inflammation, manifested by elevated inflammation markers such as C-reactive protein. This study compared inflammatory biomarker profiles in patients with CHF and MDD to those without MDD. METHODS: The study recruited patients admitted to inpatient care for acute heart failure exacerbations, after psychiatric diagnostic interview. Patients with Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) scores lower than 10 and with no history of depression served as the nondepressed reference group (n = 25). MDD severity was defined as follows: mild (BDI 10-15; n = 48), moderate (BDI 16-23; n = 51), and severe (BDI ≥ 24; n = 33). A Bio-Plex assay measured 18 inflammation markers. Ordinal logistic models were used to examine the association of MDD severity and biomarker levels. RESULTS: Adjusting for age, sex, statin use, body mass index, left ventricular ejection fraction, tobacco use, and New York Heart Association class, the MDD overall group variable was significantly associated with elevated interleukin (IL)-2 (p = .019), IL-4 (p = .020), IL-6 (p = .026), interferon-γ (p = .010), monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (p = .002), macrophage inflammatory protein 1ß (p = .003), and tumor necrosis factor α (p = .004). MDD severity subgroups had a greater probability of elevated IL-6, IL-8, interferon-γ, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1, macrophage inflammatory protein 1ß, and tumor necrosis factor α compared with nondepressed group. The nondepressed group had greater probability of elevated IL-17 (p < .001) and IL-1ß (p < .01). CONCLUSIONS: MDD in patients with CHF was associated with altered inflammation marker levels compared with patients with CHF who had no depression. Whether effective depression treatment will normalize the altered inflammation marker levels requires further study. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00078286.

Antipsychotic Use in a Diverse Population With Dementia: A Retrospective Review of the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center Database.

A cross-sectional analysis examined medication records in the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center Database for community-dwelling patients with dementia who visited an Alzheimer's Disease Center between 2008 and 2014. Hispanic participants had a 1.62-fold greater use of antipsychotic medications, which was largely accounted for by a higher prevalence of neuropsychiatric symptoms and more severe dementia compared with non-Hispanic whites. These results are consistent with reports of later transition to nursing home care among Hispanic participants. Further studies are needed to clarify ethnic differences in how families and physicians address dementia progression and neuropsychiatric symptoms in community-dwelling patients with dementia.

Delirium and hypovitaminosis D: neuroimaging findings.

The authors examined the frequency of neuroimaging findings of cortical atrophy and/or cerebrovascular disease in patients with delirium with hypovitaminosis D and normal vitamin D levels. Of 32 patients with delirium with hypovitaminosis D who were neuroimaged, 91.4% had neuroimaging findings, despite only five cases having a comorbid diagnosis of dementia. Similar frequencies of cortical atrophy and/or cerebrovascular disease were found in patients with delirium with normal vitamin D levels. Further research with a larger sample size is needed to compare neuroimaging findings between normal patients and patients with hypovitaminosis D with delirium.

Lactulose-associated lithium toxicity: a case series.

BACKGROUND: Lactulose is commonly used for constipation and hepatic encephalopathy. Its adverse effects of dehydration and serum electrolyte imbalances are widely known. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to describe a case series of 3 patients receiving lactulose who developed lithium toxicity. METHODS: The authors described a case series of 3 patients admitted to a large county psychiatric hospital who developed lithium toxicity while taking lactulose for constipation or hyperammonemia. RESULTS: In all 3 cases of lithium toxicity, the patients were prescribed with lithium for acute mania and lactulose for constipation or hyperammonemia. One case required the patient to be transferred to a local emergency department for further treatment. CONCLUSIONS: This case series shows the interaction between lithium and lactulose. It is postulated that lactulose's effects of volume depletion can lead to poor renal excretion of lithium.

The medical-psychiatric coordinating physician-led model: team-based treatment for complex patients.

OBJECTIVE: We propose a patient care model involving psychiatrist-led multispecialty teams for treatment of the most treatment-refractory segment of "complex" outpatients. We call the psychiatrist taking this leadership role the Medical-Psychiatric Coordinating Physician. METHOD: The authors conducted a pilot study for this treatment model with 52 office-based outpatient cases each involving complex patients, and each with at least 2 major treatment failures. They followed these patients empirically for at least 18 months. Outcomes examined included Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale; Hamilton Depression Rating Scale; and Health Related Quality of Life-14 scores (HRQOL-14, modified), in association with a comprehensive treatment review. RESULTS: Comprehensive treatment review indicated sustained improvement in at least 2 of 4 clinical dimensions (utilization, treatment adherence, symptomatology, and quality of life) in 44 of 52 patients. Included were Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale scores that improved significantly from 26.27 ± 7.5 to 18.13 ± 5.74 (p < 0.0001) and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale scores that improved from 22.02 ± 7.10 to 14.58 ± 6.46 (p < 0.0001). The Health-Related Quality of Life-14 improved significantly for general health from 2.54 ± 1.03 to 2.12 ± 1.06 (p < 0.0001), and sick days per month from 11.22 ± 7.76 to 6.60 ± 7.51 (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The Medical-Psychiatric Coordinating Physician-led multispecialty team method may be advantageous for the ongoing outpatient treatment of management-intensive, complex patients. We offer this model as having a place among the available integrated care models for the treatment of comorbid psychiatric-systemic medical illness.

Lessons from psychiatry and psychiatric education for medical learners and teachers.

Medical learners, teachers, and institutions face significant challenges in health care delivery and in training the next generation of clinicians. We propose that psychiatry offers lessons which may help improve how we take care of patients and how we teach others to care for patients. Our objective is to discuss what learners and teachers can learn from psychiatry, organized around (1) how we make decisions, (2) how we learn, and (3) how we reflect on our practice. Information from clinical care, education, neuroscience and other aspects of life (e.g. business, creativity, and research) help us on these processes. We make 'good' decisions in concert with patients and learners, by listening to their experiences, asking questions and exploring subjective and objective information. Our learning has a neurobiological basis, and is effectively furthered by personalization, reinforcement, acquisition of critical thinking skills, and assessment of our limitations and errors. Our ability to reflect is determined by attitude, skill, tolerating ambiguity or dissonance, and planning for the unexpected. These processes - in addition to knowledge and other skills - will help physicians be successful in practice, learning and teaching, research and leadership.

Transcultural psychiatry made simple--asynchronous telepsychiatry as an approach to providing culturally relevant care.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the feasibility and diagnostic reliability of asynchronous telepsychiatry (ATP) consultations in Spanish and ATP consultation with Spanish-to-English translation. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Twenty-four interviews of Spanish-speaking patients were videorecorded by a bilingual clinician who also collected patient history data and gave the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders (SCID-I) to each patient. The ATP data (video of the interview and patient history) were forwarded for psychiatric consultation and a diagnostic assessment by the investigators. The ATP data were then examined separately by two Spanish-speaking psychiatrists, before being translated into English and then re-examined by two English-speaking psychiatrists. Agreement between the expert diagnoses of the investigators and the diagnoses from the Spanish consultations, the Spanish-to-English translated consultations, and the SCID-I results was assessed using kappa statistics. RESULTS: We found acceptable levels of agreement for major diagnostic groupings among the Spanish- and English-speaking psychiatrists. Kappa values for diagnostic agreement between the expert and the translated consultations, the original language consultations, and the SCID-I were at least 0.52 (percentage agreement, 79%) and higher. CONCLUSIONS: ATP consultations in Spanish, and those translated from Spanish to English, are feasible, and broad diagnostic reliability was achieved. The ATP process allows for rapid language translation. This approach could be useful across national boundaries and in numerous ethnic groups. Cross-language ATP may also offer significant benefits over the use of real-time interpreting services and has the potential to improve the quality of care by allowing for the addition of culturally relevant information.

Decertification outcomes for bipolar disorder in an inpatient community mental health treatment center: impact on subsequent service use over two years.

This study investigated differences in usage of inpatient and outpatient mental health services over a 2-year period following the index hospitalization between 50 decertified and 48 certified subjects with bipolar manic or mixed episode from an inpatient mental health treatment center. The decertified group had higher number of rehospitalization over the 2-year period compared to certified group (mean = 2.26, SE = 0.41 vs. mean = 1.19, SE = 0.24; Wald χ (2) = 5.50, p = 0.02). Median time to first rehospitalization was 40 weeks in the certified and 17 weeks in the decertified group, but the difference in time to rehospitalization failed to achieve statistical significance (p = 0.18). History of prior hospitalization was associated with higher numbers of rehospitalizations and crisis room visits (both p < 0.01) and with shorter time before first rehospitalization (p < 0.001).

Utilizing Big Data From Google Trends to Map Population Depression in the United States: Exploratory Infodemiology Study.

BACKGROUND: The epidemiology of mental health disorders has important theoretical and practical implications for health care service and planning. The recent increase in big data storage and subsequent development of analytical tools suggest that mining search databases may yield important trends on mental health, which can be used to support existing population health studies. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to map depression search intent in the United States based on internet-based mental health queries. METHODS: Weekly data on mental health searches were extracted from Google Trends for an 11-year period (2010-2021) and separated by US state for the following terms: "feeling sad," "depressed," "depression," "empty," "insomnia," "fatigue," "guilty," "feeling guilty," and "suicide." Multivariable regression models were created based on geographic and environmental factors and normalized to the following control terms: "sports," "news," "google," "youtube," "facebook," and "netflix." Heat maps of population depression were generated based on search intent. RESULTS: Depression search intent grew 67% from January 2010 to March 2021. Depression search intent showed significant seasonal patterns with peak intensity during winter (adjusted P<.001) and early spring months (adjusted P<.001), relative to summer months. Geographic location correlated with depression search intent with states in the Northeast (adjusted P=.01) having higher search intent than states in the South. CONCLUSIONS: The trends extrapolated from Google Trends successfully correlate with known risk factors for depression, such as seasonality and increasing latitude. These findings suggest that Google Trends may be a valid novel epidemiological tool to map depression prevalence in the United States.

Train New Trainers Primary Care Psychiatry Fellowship-Optimizing Delivery of Behavioral Health Care Through Training for Primary Care Providers.

OBJECTIVE: To expand and optimize the behavioral health workforce, it is necessary to improve primary care providers' (PCPs) overall knowledge and clinical skills in primary care-based psychiatry. Studies on the effects of postgraduate psychiatric education programs for PCPs on psychiatric knowledge are limited. METHODS: A total of 251 PCPs completed a 1-year fellowship. Data from program development and evaluation were analyzed for 4 fellowship years (2016-2019). Fellows were surveyed at baseline, midpoint, and postfellowship about mental health stigma, perceived competency, attitudes about psychiatry, satisfaction with current psychiatric knowledge, confidence and comfort to treat psychiatric illnesses, and program satisfaction. Psychiatric knowledge was evaluated at baseline, midpoint, and postfellowship. RESULTS: Large effects were noted on perceived competency/self-efficacy and confidence in the treatment of common psychiatric disorders encountered in primary care settings. Positive effects were observed on attitudes of mental health stigma, and even more robust effects were found with improvement in psychiatry clinical knowledge. Knowledge improved by 12% at postfellowship (P < .0001). Correlations of the degree of change in attitude with improved psychiatric literacy demonstrated significant relationships with reduction of stigma total score (r = -0.2133, P = .0043), increased willingness (r = 0.1941, P = .0096), and increased positive attitudes (r = 0.1894, P = .0111). CONCLUSION: Innovative initiatives to improve and expand psychiatric knowledge and clinical skills among those who provide the most behavioral health care (PCPs) can have marked impacts on attitudes toward mental health care delivery, stigma, and competency/self-efficacy. Future studies are necessary to consider the impact of this program on clinical practice pattern outcomes on a larger scale.