Direct Outreach Meetings Increase Primary Care Utilization of Psychiatry Access Programs

Child psychiatry access programs address the shortage of child and adolescent psychiatrists and other mental health professionals nationwide. The Wisconsin Child Psychiatry Consultation Program (WI CPCP) provides telephone or email guidance to pediatric primary care providers treating mild to moderate psychiatric symptoms in patients. Statewide programs like the WI CPCP offer direct outreach meetings to primary care clinics, which, though resource-intensive, are hypothesized to increase program utilization. This study examined whether direct outreach meetings to primary care corresponded with subsequent increased primary care consultations with the WI CPCP. The authors hypothesized that direct outreach meetings would increase primary care consultations with the WI CPCP. WI CPCP consultations among 492 primary care providers were compared in the period 3 and 12 months before and after receiving a direct outreach meeting. These were also compared to 492 matched control providers who did not receive a direct outreach meeting. Results of generalized estimating equation analyses suggested that direct outreach meetings significantly increased primary care utilization of the WI CPCP (p < .01). Consultation numbers more than doubled when including consultations generated during direct outreach meetings themselves. Consultation numbers nearly doubled when examining consultations after direct outreach meetings. Results held for both the 3- and 12-month periods following a direct outreach meeting. Although direct outreach meetings may require additional time and resources for pediatric psychiatry access programs, they add value via increased primary care engagement for at least 1 year.