Timely Follow-Up Critical After Behavioral Health Discharge

Because patients hospitalized for behavioral health issues are vulnerable after discharge, follow-up care by trained behavioral health clinicians, and coordination of care between primary care physicians (PCPs) and behavioral health practitioners, are critical for their health and well-being.

According to a the National Institute of Mental Health, about one in five U.S. adults live with a mental illness of some kind, and 24.3 million received mental health services in 2020. Research suggests that follow-up care for people with mental illness is linked to fewer repeat emergency department visits and avoidable readmissions, improved physical and mental function, and increased compliance with follow-up instructions. Among other benefits, close follow-up:

• Reduces incidents of suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and completed suicide
• Reduces substance abuse and improves entry into recovery
• Reduces emergency department use and hospital admissions, and lengths of stay
• Leads to better identification and treatment of behavioral and physical health issues

Coordination of care: PCP and other outpatient providers
Follow-up for members hospitalized for behavioral health reasons should occur within 7 days of discharge (but not on the same day as discharge), and again within 30 days of discharge. Follow-up may include an outpatient visit, intensive outpatient visit, or partial hospital visit, and must be with a behavioral health provider, i.e., a psychiatrist, psychologist, clinical social worker, or other therapist. Telemedicine visits with the appropriate principal diagnosis also meet the follow-up criteria.

PCPs can play an integral role in helping to increase compliance with behavioral health outpatient follow-up care and to provide ongoing support that helps to improve treatment outcomes. Ways they can help include:

• Educating patients and families about the importance of a behavioral health follow up appointment within 7 days after an inpatient behavioral health hospitalization
• Scheduling a phone call or telemedicine appointment with the patient following discharge to ensure that the patient has a follow up appointment scheduled with a behavioral health provider
• If necessary, helping to facilitate the scheduling of in person or telemedicine appointment with a behavioral health provider

For help finding a behavioral health provider, the member or PCP office can use CarePartners of Connecticut’s Doctor Search tool or call the member services number on a member’s ID card.