NEHI INC

CAPACITY BUILDING FOR PATIENT ENGAGEMENT IN RESEARCH ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TELEHEALTH IN SUD TREATMENT (CBFPEIR):BLACK INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCE DISPROPORTIONATELY ADVERSE IMPACTS OF SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER (SUD) AND ARE FAR LESS LIKELY TO RECEIVE EVIDENCE-BASED SUD TREATMENT. TELEHEALTH HAS BEEN ONE METHOD UTILIZED TO EXPAND MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH TREATMENT OPTIONS, HOWEVER, IT IS DIFFICULT TO FIND STUDIES THAT FOCUS ON THE ROLE TELEHEALTH PLAYS IN ADDRESSING SUD. THE NETWORK FOR EXCELLENCE IN HEALTH INNOVATION (NEHI) PARTNERED WITH COMMUNITY CATALYST AND BLACK FACES BLACK VOICES TO LEAD WORK FOCUSED ON INCREASING AND SUSTAINING ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN BLACK INDIVIDUALS WITH LIVED SUD EXPERIENCE AND RESEARCHERS IN THE FIELD TO INFORM FUTURE PATIENT-CENTERED OUTCOMES RESEARCH (PCOR) ON TELEHEALTH SOLUTIONS FOR SUD. BY ESTABLISHING MUTUAL GOALS FOR SYSTEMIC CHANGE AND COLLABORATING ON MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES, THE EXPECTATION IS THAT RESEARCH ON TELEHEALTH FOR SUD TREATMENT AND RECOVERY SHOULD BETTER REFLECT THE EXPERIENCES OF BLACK INDIVIDUALS WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE WHILE ALSO INCREASING RESEARCHERS' WILLINGNESS TO INCORPORATE PCOR METHODOLOGIES IN THEIR RESEARCH. TO MEET THESE OBJECTIVES, THE PROJECT TEAM CONDUCTED INTERVIEWS WITH INDIVIDUALS WITH LIVED SUD EXPERIENCE, HELD REGULAR STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS WITH INDIVIDUALS WITH LIVED SUD EXPERIENCE AND RESEARCHERS, AND CONVENED BOTH STAKEHOLDER GROUPS TO FORMULATE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES. PARTICIPANTS AGREED THAT ENGAGEMENT WITHIN SPECIFIC RESEARCHER STUDIES AS WELL AS OUTSIDE OF RESEARCH IS VITAL TO ESTABLISH RAPPORT AND BUILD TRUST BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS WITH LIVED SUD EXPERIENCE AND RESEARCHERS. FURTHERMORE, THE GROUPS AGREED THAT ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS AND COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS ARE THE RIGHT ACTORS TO FACILITATE RELATIONSHIP BUILDING EFFORTS.

IMPLEMENTING BEHAVIORAL HEALTH IN PRIMARY CARE THROUGH SHARED ACCOUNTABILITY (IBHPCTSA:NEHI LAUNCHED THIS INITIATIVE WITH THE GOAL OF EXPANDING BEHAVIORAL HEALTH INTEGRATION BY PRIMARY CARE PRACTICES IN MASSACHUSETTS.[1] LESS THAN 40% OF PRIMARY CARE GROUPS HAVE INCORPORATED ANY TYPE OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH INTEGRATION IN THEIR PRACTICES,[2] WITH FAR FEWER ADOPTING RECOGNIZED MODELS OF INTEGRATION, DESPITE THE EVIDENCE DEMONSTRATING ITS EFFECTIVENESS AND IMPORTANCE IN REDRESSING ACCESS ISSUES TO NEEDED BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE. NEHI CONVENED MAJOR MASSACHUSETTS STAKEHOLDERS TO IDENTIFY COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS THAT WOULD ADVANCE ADOPTION OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH INTEGRATION IN PRIMARY CARE IN THE COMMONWEALTH. THE INITIATIVE SURFACED EXPERIENCE-BASED INSIGHTS ABOUT THE CHALLENGES OF ADVANCING BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND PRIMARY CARE INTEGRATION (BH INTEGRATION) ACROSS INDUSTRY SECTORS. IT ALSO PRODUCED TWO POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS TO THESE CHALLENGES. WHILE THE PROJECT PARTICIPANTS SUPPORTED THE ADVANCEMENT BEHAVIORAL HEALTH INTEGRATION, THEY DID NOT ACHIEVE CONSENSUS TO PURSUE A COLLECTIVE PILOT AND TEST THE SOLUTIONS IDENTIFIED. NEVERTHELESS, BASED ON PARTICIPANTS' EXCHANGES IN THIS PROJECT, INFORMED BY EXISTING RESEARCH, THE AUTHORS BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR COLLABORATIVE WORK TO ADVANCE ACCESS TO EFFECTIVE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE AND, AS AN INITIAL STEP, URGE PARTICIPANTS TO SHARE AND DISCUSS THIS REPORT WITHIN THEIR RESPECTIVE ORGANIZATIONS.