CirrusMD Announces On-Demand Integrated Behavioral Health Solution to Address Soaring Mental Health Needs During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond

DENVER, Nov. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- CirrusMD, the fastest growing provider of on-demand virtual care for the modern world, today announced availability of the Integrated Behavioral Healthcare solution, further expanding the breadth of CirrusMD solutions. Today through the CirrusMD Provider Network, patients are quickly connected to live, licensed physicians who can identify, diagnose and treat a wide range of health concerns, now including behavioral health. This service is available in all 50 states for patients with access to the CirrusMD platform, and is vitally important as COVID-19 cases surpass 10 million in the United States and mental health issues soar.

Of the over 5.6 million adults in the United States with a behavioral health condition, studies indicate that approximately 70 percent are not receiving treatment¹. A number of barriers to care for behavioral health conditions include:

1. Cost of care - behavioral health treatment is often an out of pocket expense for patients
2. Stigma - patients often remain uncomfortable pursuing mental health services
3. Access - 60+ percent of rural Americans live in mental health professional shortage areas²
4. Navigation - it's difficult for patients to find the right resources at the time they need care     

The Problem is Growing

Exacerbating the problems related to behavioral health is the increasing stress people are experiencing related to the pandemic. A major research study conducted by the United Nations and World Health Organization noted the importance of focusing on mental health matters as the pandemic spreads and has longer-term effects on the general population.³

Particularly during the pandemic, CirrusMD has experienced first-hand the increase in encounters that include an underlying behavioral health issue, and has scaled resources to ensure availability. "In the first half of 2020, physicians on the CirrusMD platform documented an increase of 300 percent in patient encounters that link to a mental health condition," said Scott Johnson, President and Chief Operating Officer, CirrusMD.  "As overall encounter volume has increased in 2020, we have doubled the number of physicians in our provider network, while simultaneously enhancing our resources to address behavioral health issues, which is what many patients need today."

Patient-Centered, Integrated Care

The CirrusMD Integrated Behavioral Healthcare model provides a fully patient-centric experience. CirrusMD physicians identify potential behavioral health issues through targeted questions, and based on patient responses, may administer standardized assessment tools — such as the GAD7 (for anxiety screening) and PHQ9 (for depression screening)— to determine what treatment interventions are needed. During a single encounter, the doctor can discuss medications with the patient, seek guidance with a CirrusMD psychiatrist, and make a recommendation for follow-up care, all in real time.

After the initial encounter concludes, the CirrusMD team of doctors proactively follow up with the patient to ensure symptoms are improving while continuing to track GAD7 and PHQ9 data, adjust medications if needed, and help them navigate to additional resources for ongoing care. Uniquely, CirrusMD partners with customers, including health plans and employers, to develop customized resource navigation, enabling physicians to direct patients to approved services for ongoing medical and behavioral health concerns, helping people get needed care while increasing the utilization of additional invested benefits.

Dr. Elishia Oliva, MD, Specialty Medical Director and lead psychiatrist at CirrusMD, notes, "Our providers work to restore a patient to a functional baseline. We've assembled the tools and team to quickly identify issues that go beyond physical needs and help a patient get the care they need. Our integrated care model enables our physicians to deliver care for a wide range of concerns, from acute needs to chronic conditions. More and more often, we're encountering patients with physical symptoms that reveal mental health issues. We've developed an integrated care model that allows a seamless experience for each patient, connecting them to immediate, follow-up and long-term care, depending on their needs."

About CirrusMD
CirrusMD provides instant, text-first telehealth encounters between patients and real doctors  — not chatbots  —  enabling on-demand integrated care. CirrusMD partners with major health plans, employers, benefits brokers and consultants, and community health services to treat a broad range of conditions, from acute to chronic, and from primary care to multi-specialty areas, including behavioral health. CirrusMD's network of licensed physicians administer care to all 50 states, providing access to nearly 10 million users. For more information, visit cirrusmd.com.

SOURCE CirrusMD

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