Issue Brief Shows Effectiveness of Telehealth Services in Partial Hospitalization Programs and Intensive Outpatient Programs

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National Association for Behavioral Healthcare

Feb 01, 2023, 14:26 ET

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Association for Behavioral Healthcare (NABH) Education and Research Foundation and Manatt have released an issue brief that highlights how telehealth services effectively augment traditional partial hospitalization programs (PHP) and intensive outpatient programs (IOP).

The COVID-19 pandemic led many behavioral healthcare providers to implement telehealth services to expand existing PHPs and IOPs. To assess the effectiveness of telehealth in PHP and IOP programs, NABH members launched a study to measure the impact that telehealth services had on access and outcomes.

Results from the study show that using telehealth services improved access to care and optimized the reach of existing personnel. The initial findings from several NABH members also indicated that, relative to in-person services, telehealth delivery-of-care produced similar or better outcomes for PHP and IOP patients.

"Maintaining telehealth services coverage in PHP and IOP is essential to improving behavioral healthcare access and outcomes," said Donald Parker, board president of the NABH Education and Research Foundation and president at Hackensack Meridian Health Carrier Clinic in New Jersey. "We're grateful to our fellow NABH members who helped in this important study," he added. "And we thank the Manatt team for showing how behavioral healthcare providers incorporated telehealth into PHP and IOP programs, the lessons we've learned from this, and what policy recommendations to consider as the COVID-19 public health emergency draws to a close."

Some of the telehealth brief's key findings include:

During the COVID-19 crisis, regulatory flexibilities enabled traditional in-person PHPs and IOP programs to implement telehealth services rapidly.
Using telehealth to deliver PHP and IOP services has improved access to care for remote patients and those facing other access obstacles.
Emerging research is showing that, relative to in-person care, the use of telehealth in PHPs and IOPs generally is improving the quality of clinical care, patient satisfaction and the overall efficiency of the healthcare system.

Manatt will host a webinar to discuss the issue brief's findings on Wednesday, Feb. 1 at noon ET. Click here to learn more and to register for the free webinar.

The NABH Education & Research Foundation fields independent studies and partners with other organizations to identify and develop best practices and improve NABH members' ability to support the country's behavioral health needs.

About the NABH Education and Research Foundation:
Renewed by the NABH Board of Trustees in 2020, the NABH Education and Research Foundation exists today to promote education and research to improve the care and treatment of behavioral healthcare; further improve the quality of behavioral healthcare facilities; and advance the scientific understanding of the knowledge of human behavior.

About NABH:
The National Association for Behavioral Healthcare (NABH) represents provider systems that treat children, adolescents, adults, and older adults with mental health and substance use disorders in inpatient behavioral healthcare hospitals and units, residential treatment facilities, partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs, medication assisted treatment centers, specialty outpatient behavioral healthcare programs, and recovery support services in 49 states and Washington, D.C. The association was founded in 1933.

SOURCE National Association for Behavioral Healthcare