MP3 Audio File - Improving the Care of People with Mental Illness in Rural Areas

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 60 million people live in rural areas and it has been well documented that these Americans face specific challenges to accessing, utilizing, and paying for quality healthcare. Despite 20% of Americans living in rural areas, only 10% of the nation’s physicians practice in rural areas, with access to and availability of mental health specialists, such as psychiatrists, psychologists, psychiatric nurses, and social workers significantly lacking. Integrating mental and medical health in these rural areas has been a focus of many states to provide access and health education to providers and patients. It is critical that best practices implemented throughout the nation are shared among clinicians so that all providers can collaborate and improve their knowledge and performance, gain insights to the latest evidence, and provide optimal care services to patients and their families. Evolving technology has provided new opportunities to provide access to services and address barriers presented to patients and physicians practicing in remote rural communities. As technology improves, costs decrease and access increases—these forces help to create opportunities for increased collaborative care management. This neuroscienceCME Webcast will present key insights to better integrate primary care and mental health services, and address the unique challenges and performance gaps identified in rural populations.