The importance of assessing where colocation is occurring. Commentary on Richman, Lombardi, and Zerden (2020)

Comments on an article by Richman, Lombardi, and Zerden (see record 2020-20111-003). The analysis provides important baseline data that identifies where behavioral health and primary care colocation is currently occurring in the United States. It builds on an earlier analysis from 2008 (Miller et al., 2014), which found that colocation of primary care providers (PCPs) with behavioral health providers is more common in urban settings than rural. As person-centered care becomes more of an expectation for consumers, policymakers and payers will continue to feel pressure to address the highly fragmented and expensive care delivered today. Providing incentives for behavioral health integration, including primary care and behavioral health colocation, is vital to achieving that goal. Knowing where and which types of practices are colocated will help target interventions to where they are most needed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).