The Relationally-Centered Integrated Behavioral Health Model: Exploring Holistic Patient Health Outcomes

Abstract

Integrated Primary Care (IPC) is a system that relies on the biopsychosocial (BPS) framework to provide holistic care to patients by organizing collaborative teams of biomedical and psychosocial health services. Due to the diversity of patient needs, many IPC models have been created with varying methods of organizational structure and foci. This dissertation explores the physical and mental health outcomes of the Relationally-Centered Integrated Behavioral Health Model (RCIBH), an IPC model that strives to provide all patients and their families with behavioral health services, regardless of the presenting problem. The following document is divided into six manuscripts: (a) an introduction to the dissertation and a narrative history of IPC models from around the globe, (b) a systematic review of the holistic outcomes of IPC models, (c) an introduction to the RCIBH model and its comparison to other prominent models, (d) a chapter outlining the methodology for the original research study, (e) an empirical research study utilizing machine learning techniques to explore the factors contributing to biological and psychological outcomes of the RCIBH model, and (e) a perspective piece calling for Medical Family Therapists (MedFTs) to engage with Electronic Health Record (EHR) data and further establish their role in the healthcare system.