Integrating Mental Health Into General Health

if you are employeed and have decent health insurance. But without some form of universal healthcare, it's moot because many people struggling with a mental illness do not have insurance or even SSDI.

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In theory one healthcare system (under God, indivisible with liberty & justice for all) treating the whole patient ought to work and work well. After all it makes good sense. In reality, however, we all deal with the same dysfunctional healthcare system which barely works on a good day to meet the basic needs of the mentally ill population, esp. those w/o health care insurance. Changes in MI tolerance and acceptance are slowing arriving in society and as the baby boomers age, more changes will be forced upon the system. For now, those of us with mental health issues need to take an active role in the management of our own healthcare and if that means running interference between the primary care HMO dr. and the pdoc, well we have to do what we have to do in our own best interest. At least those of us that are able to take care of ourselves ought to do a better job of it. The unfortunate others (those w/o insurance) will fall through the cracks or by the way side until our government steps in and creates a more socialistic healthcare system under which we are all treated equal. In that regard who will our next hero be: McCain or Obama?
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I absolutely feel that an integrated health care system is the way to go and should have been that way all along.  I have had BP for over 40 years and have seen a very rocky road in my life.  I never miss a psych appt but ALWAYS put off my GP appts.

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Yes, it would definitely be a big help. For example, just the other evening I had to go to our local ER to have an arthritic knee looked at that was badly swollen and extremely painful. The ER doctor gave me a prescription for pain meds to see me through until my referral to the Orthopaedic doctor's office in our area. When I went to a local Rite-Aid pharmacy (not my regular pharmacy--mine was closed by the time I got out of the ER), they were perfuntory, rude, and when I tried to ask them if they would like an update on all of my meds for their computer system (I hadn't been to a Rite-Aid in several years and it was a different store), they just said no and kind of cut me off. Now tell me how they can tell if there is a drug interaction or contraindication. When I asked about risks, because the literature that came with it said that it might not be good to take with antidepressants and certain other meds, they just said, well, it's up to you, you know there's risks with everything...Well, they could have at least told me if the risks were like sleeping too much, rather than having an anaphalactic reaction!

 

I do happen to take care of my physical health. But it can get confusing trying to recite all of my meds and physical problems to each provider every time I see them, especially right now. I was recently rehospitalized and had med changes. I haven't had a chance to memorize them all perfectly yet. (Yes, I know, I should have them all written out and keep them on me when I go to appointments. Well, if people and life were perfect.....but they're not...). If you see several doctors within a few days time, you tend to lose track of what you've told to whom. You can remember telling someone something, but not necessarily whom or what.

 

Also, I travel a fair amount to various conferences and workshops around NYS. What happens if I'm far away from home and need emergency care? When I left the hospital the other evening and read their printout of my "current medications" I learned it wasn't so current--or accurate. And you cannot reach my primary care "physician" (Really a nurse practitioner working under the doctor who treats the nursing home residents on the second floor) on Wednesdays or evenings. All you get is an answering machine telling you to go to the ER or call 911 if this is an emergency. (That's what happens when just about only one place in town takes Medicaid.)

 

Anyway, I think Peter has it right and it would behoove all of us to do everything we can to make this a reality. Just one warning...make sure we do it in such a way that our medical information cannot be used against us, or used for ID theft...

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My husband and I both have a medical information  document on our computer. It includes all our doctor's names and phone numbers, our insurance info., but most importantly, all of our meds are listed, with the doses and when we take them. We carry a copy in our wallets and have a medic alert pin or bracelet on our person.The ER Doc's are always impressed and wish everyone carried that information with them. Each of our Docs have a copy also, that is either kept in our chart or scanned into their computer.

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Peter...welcome to bpc and to your position with DBSA.

 

Our mental health care system DEFINITELY needs revamping.  Integrating MH with general health just makes sense.  It would certainly improve health care for all of us.

 

Down the road, not only should medical records be integrated, but people with mental health issues would be served best if their psychiatric doctors' offices were in the same buildings as primary care physicians for the sake of better coordination and benefit to the consumer.

 

I must admit that I do not see my family doctor as often as I should.  My grandmother was a Christian Scientist and some of her beliefs became mine as well.  If I had no mental health issues, my doc still wouldn't see me very often.  But I do see him from time to time.  As far as I know, he has never coordinated with my psych doc.  But my psych doc sends reports occasionly to my family doctor regarding med changes and tests.

 

Most people that I know on SSDI with Medicaid get very good overall care.  They see both psych docs and PC physicans and don't have to worry how to pay the for it.  Others are not so fortunate.  My family struggles keeping up with our health care expenses. 

 

Our whole healthcare system is a mess and I hope our new President and his administration will do something to change things here in the U.S.

 

We are behind the times when it comes to mental health care and health care in general.  Thank you for sharing all the good info with us.  I had no idea the extent to which efforts are being made to change things.

 

Judy

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I don't get it. Who are you to be preaching to us?

You, sir, are no Messiah.

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