Strengthening Behavioral Health Services Through Partnerships and Data Integration

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Services Research
• Emergency Medicine

Background:

• Rising utilization of emergency medical services (EMS) for behavioral health conditions is a growing concern.
• Behavioral health issues encompass mental disorders and substance use disorders, contributing to increased EMS calls.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the trend of increasing emergency medical service (EMS) use for behavioral health reasons.
• To quantify the proportion of EMS runs involving individuals with behavioral health needs served by the Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network (DWIHN).

Main Methods:

• A data-sharing partnership was established between the Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network (DWIHN) and the Detroit East Medical Control Authority (DEMCA).
• Analysis focused on identifying the volume and characteristics of EMS runs related to individuals receiving behavioral health services through DWIHN over a 2.5-year period.

Main Results:

• An average of 33.73% of all EMS runs over 2.5 years involved individuals receiving behavioral health services through DWIHN.
• This indicates a substantial proportion of EMS resources are dedicated to behavioral health-related emergencies.

Conclusions:

• DWIHN leveraged these findings to implement targeted interventions and improve internal processes for better medical and behavioral healthcare coordination.
• The data supports the development of prevention strategies to reduce crisis occurrences and minimize justice system involvement for individuals with behavioral health needs.
• Comparable organizations are encouraged to consider similar data-sharing partnerships to address rising EMS and Emergency Department use for behavioral health issues.