Substance misuse and substance use disorders, one of the primary causes of depression , have remained behind the veil of ignorance and stigma for a long period of time. In fact, at one point they were merely seen as a social or criminal problem in lieu of a “health issue”. Wherefore, people in need of adequate care for substance use disorders or the associated depression have had limited access to the treatment options and chaos-free care.
Proper healthcare integration models of prevention, treatment, and recovery services through the wide expanse of healthcare systems are key to addressing such disorders in entirety, improving the access to quality of treatment substantially. With agile healthcare integration solution, the overall quality of care offered to the individual as well as public health has increased, and health disparities & costs to society have plummeted.
Role Of Healthcare Integration Solution In Curing Substance Use Disorders And Depression
Statistics say the proponents involved in the integrated care metamorphosis are of the view of that segmented patient care doesn’t have the same positive outcomes as those demonstrated with integration.
Historically, behavioral health providers did not have a link of communication with their patient’s primary care physicians. Moreover, the lack of communication within and among myriad multi-level healthcare units served to be the central reason for dysfunction and disruption in the system.
Further, there was a strong disconnect between groups in the healthcare system. The rationale behind this is “healthcare silo”. So, owing to lack of communication and connectivity amid the health landscape, and a massive amount of data silos, the quality of care catered to patients diminishes immensely.
However, by fragmenting the silos, internal communication can be improved. Also, with better ease of access and sharing of information, different entities involved in the healthcare system can amplify the data flow, achieve a higher level of collaboration and become more efficient. This ensures that all parties have a common goal in mind: providing patients with the highest level of care possible.
Substance use disorders and depression can stem from a plethora of reasons, consequently the diagnosis and treatment prescribed are different. Healthcare integration solution allows the professionals to have seamless access to all the orientations of the health system involved; to offer best-quality treatment to patients; and to ensure innovation, quality safety, and value in care.
In addition, integrating care curtails the stigma attached to mental health issues, because comprehensive, integrated care treats the whole person without a mind-body split. Further, the demystification of subjects like mental health among the healthcare team is also removed. Hence, stigma is reduced not only in the minds of providers but also in patients.
Final word
Improper communication, disconnected subunits, enormous healthcare silos are few of the many reasons why the current realm of healthcare is getting compromised. Integrated healthcare solution helps in combating such challenges to offer best-grade quality care to patients respectively. Mental health, which has been overlooked and looked down upon is acknowledged better now with the help of an integration solution. Integrated healthcare system produces best outcomes, provides the most effective approach for supporting whole-person health and wellness and follows a human being through the continuum of care and even beyond.
Chandra Shekhar is a product marketing enthusiast who likes to talk about business integration and how enterprises can gain a competitive edge by better customer data exchange. He has 7 years of experience in product marketing for SaaS companies.