Telehealth and In-Person Behavioral Health Services in Rural Communities Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Multisite Prospective Cohort Study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic triggered widespread adjustments across the US health care system. Telehealth use showed a substantial increase in mental health conditions and services due to acute public health emergency (PHE) behavioral health needs on top of long-standing gaps in access to behavioral health services. How health systems that were already providing behavioral telehealth services adjusted services and staffing during this period has not been well documented, particularly in rural areas with chronic shortages of behavioral health providers and services.

Objective

This study investigates patient and treatment characteristic changes from before the COVID-19 PHE to during the PHE within both telehealth and in-person behavioral health services provided in 95 rur

SUBMITTER: Ward MM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10508259 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature