Study assesses perceptions and barriers to integrated care training and practice

Integrated care – a coordinated approach that addresses patients' physical, mental and social health needs – has been shown to improve patient outcomes, reduce health care costs and address health disparities.

Since 2019, the Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care's Center for Integrated Care has served as a hub for integrated care education and training at Rutgers Health while providing clinical services with partners throughout New Jersey.

Researchers at the center have published one of the first studies to assesses perceptions and barriers to integrated care training and practice across multiple health professions.

In the study, published in the Journal of Integrated Care, researchers surveyed 220 Rutgers faculty, clinicians and students from a multidisciplinary perspective – including the university's schools of medicine, pharmacy, psychology, dental medicine, health professions, nursing, social work and clinicians at University Behavioral Health Care – about their experience in collaborative care education and obstacles to training.

Researchers found 97% of the respondents reported that activities promoting integrated care occur often, such as consultation with other professions in patient care settings, incorporation of integrated care concepts into teachings and interprofessional learning opportunities. Respondents also said they saw the benefits in patient care and expressed interest in continuing to practice integrated care.

Rutgers is a pioneer in integrated care education. Although interprofessional education and experiential training in integrated care is limited, we are seeing more universities training in this model. The study uncovered some challenges to this type of program's growth, such as not having enough mentors and faculty trained in integrated care and curriculum development and health care providers that work in this model to provide experiential education and eventual employment."

Stephanie Marcello, chief psychologist pf the University Behavioral Health Care and an author of the study

The report showed that students value learning how other disciplines approach health care delivery and how to interact with other professions as an important part of their health care education.

Holistic care practices are, at their core, prevention programs, Marcello said. "When health care professionals – pharmacists, behavioral health care professionals, nurses, social workers – work as a team to provide care, they improve patient satisfaction, lower health care costs and reduce employee absenteeism and turnover," she said.

In addition, when a person can receive mental and physical health care in one location, they are more likely to take advantage of that access to behavioral health. "Patients are screened for depression, anxiety and substance use just as taking blood pressure and height and weight is standard practice," Marcello said. "General practitioners can then consult with an on-site behavioral health specialist on how a patient's physical health might be affected by their mental health and provide interventions right there in the room."

Researchers found that engaging more providers and primary care offices where students can work in future practice is key to education.

"We want to build these academic standards where integrated care training is embedded in health profession curricula," Marcello said. "We want to ensure that the next generation is learning team-based collaborative skills, so patients can receive this coordinated treatment that not only address their physical needs, but their behavioral health needs as well."