Definition:
Integrated Healthcare is a general term to describe the improved coordination of care between primary and behavioral healthcare services.
Traditionally addictions treatment, mental health treatment, primary care, and other specialty medical care providers have struggled to seamlessly coordinate consumer healthcare services. The client suffers as a result of poor service integration. Prior to integration of services, data showed people with serious mental health disorders were dying of preventable physical health conditions such as diabetes and cardio vascular disease at a younger age than the general population. Better coordination or “integration” of care has been show to positively impact physical health outcomes for this and other populations.