Mini Review of Integrated Care and Implications for Advanced Practice Nurse Role

Literature related to primary care and behavioral health integration initiatives is becoming abundant. The United States' 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act included provisions encouraging increased collaboration of care for individuals with behavioral and physical health service needs in the public sector. There is relatively little known of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses' (APRNs) roles with integrating primary and behavioral healthcare. The goal of this review article is to: (a) define integration of physical and behavioral healthcare and potential models; (b) answer the question as to what are effective evidence based models/strategies for integrating behavioral health and primary care; (c) explore the future role and innovations of APRNs in the integration of physical and behavioral healthcare.

The evidence- based literature is limited to three systematic reviews and six randomized controlled trials. It was difficult to generalize the data and the effective integration strategies varied from such interventions as care management to use of sertraline to depression management and to access. There were, though, implications for the integrated care advanced practice nurse to have roles inclusive of competencies, leadership, engagement, collaboration and advocacy.