Polk County Behavioral Health Study | Page 206

D . Stage 2 Behavioral Health Access to Care Audit Analysis
Stage 2 included an Access Audit to evaluate community access to care , provider responsiveness , and other customer service measures . The purpose of the audit is to identify general access to care issues in the Polk County area – not to profile any particular site . Test phone calls to behavioral health service sites were made with the intent of identifying the following :
• Ability of the site to accept new patients .
• Expected wait time to have an initial appointment .
• Experience of the facility to refer the caller elsewhere when the desired services are not provided .
• How staff asks questions to define prospective client needs and other information prior to making an appointment ( e . g ., insurance coverage , appropriate levels of service , other access to care issues ).
• Other customer service characteristics .
The access audit calls revealed several key barriers that may limit an individual ’ s ability to access behavioral health and substance use care when needed in the community . The broad issues noted are used to help guide , validate , or improve service site-level practices that impact individual ’ s ability to receive care .
The average wait time for an initial screening appointment is less than one week , yet counseling appointments are typically approximately two weeks at most sites . Appointments for medication management may require a wait time of more than three weeks .
Additionally , about 50 % of phone calls were sent directly to voice mail . In those circumstances , patients must rely on the provider to : a ) return their call in a timely manner , and b ) call when the patient can answer the phone and freely hold a conversation about his or her health issues – which , for many , can be challenging . However , when engaged , live attendants were very empathetic and caring . In several cases , organizations were staffed by individuals who had previously received care for issues being addressed by their organization ; those individuals were particularly effective in engaging the caller .
The goal of access audit calls is to gain a better understanding of the pathways and processes available to community members seeking assistance .
Polk County service providers included in the Access Audit were typically highly empathic and provided clear information about the initial process of care . However , since many calls went to voicemail or an automated attendant , it implies that the initial outreach to learn about available services faces some process-based challenges .
A common refrain from key stakeholders and focus group participants ( noted elsewhere in this report ) centered on the importance of facilitating easy access to care – especially for those entering the healthcare system for the first time or seeking initial care for an urgent situation . In the interviews and focus groups , it was reported that when someone seeks help for behavioral health issues ( including substance use disorders ), the first “ experience of care ” is critically important . Many suggested that patients were more likely give up efforts to receive services if the first call or outreach did not provide an immediate next step .
In summary , the Access Audit shows that initial contact with a live person is very important and , in many cases , delayed due to the use of automated attendants or similar features . However , once connected with live respondents , callers receive helpful information . Access to counseling and medication management services is often not readily available while initial screenings are usually handled quickly .
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