Effect of Integrating Mental and Physical Health on Patients' Experiences of Care

What was the research about? Behavioral health integration, or BHI, is when clinics manage both physical and mental health care in the same place. The goal of BHI is to improve the coordination of services to better meet patients' needs. In this study, the research team wanted to learn if BHI improved patients' experiences of care. The team looked at clinics that were using BHI and scored them on staff training, how well staff work together, and other aspects of BHI. Then the team looked at whether clinics with higher scores had better Patient-reported experiences of care Patient-reported experiences of being judged, or stigma, in a healthcare setting Quality of care The team also looked at whether patients who felt stigma were less likely to get their healthcare needs met.