An Exploration of Behavioral Health Productivity and Billing Practices Within Pediatric Primary Care

Abstract

OBJECTIVES : To provide descriptive information on behavioral health (BH) productivity and billing practices within a pediatric primary care setting. METHODS : This retrospective investigation reviewed 30 months of electronic medical records and financial data. RESULTS : The percent of BH provider time spent in direct patient care (productivity) was 35.28% overall, with a slightly higher quarterly average (M = 36.42%; SD = 6.46%). In the 646.75 hr BH providers spent in the primary care setting, $52,050.00 was charged for BH services delivered ($80.48 hourly average). CONCLUSIONS : BH productivity and billing within pediatric primary care were suboptimal and likely multifactorially derived. To promote integrated primary care sustainability, the authors recommend three future aims: improve BH productivity, demonstrate the value-added contributions of BH services within primary care, and advocate for BH-supporting health care reform.

Keywords: adolescents; children; health care services; primary care.