Patterns of Mental Health Care Before Initiation of Telemental Health Services.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Use of telemental health has increased among rural Medicare beneficiaries, particularly among individuals with serious mental illness (SMI). Little is known about what leads to the initiation of telemental health.

Objective

To categorize the different patterns of mental health care use before initiation of telemental health services among individuals with SMI.

Methods

A cohort of rural beneficiaries with SMI (defined as schizophrenia/related psychotic disorders or bipolar disorder) with an index telemental health visit in 2010-2017 was built using claims for a 20% random sample of fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries. The authors used latent class analysis to identify classes of mental health care use in the 6 months before the index telemental health vis

SUBMITTER: McDowell A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8265030 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature