Objective: This study examined whether documented disparities in access to behavioral health specialty care persisted in a novel integrated primary care model situated in a large health system when triage and referral management supports were provided by a centralized resource center for patients with behavioral health needs.
Methods: Patients triaged and referred to specialty behavioral health care who did or did not attend a specialty care visit (N=1,450) were compared in terms of various demographic and clinical characteristics by using binary logistic regression.
Results: Among patients with attendance data, financially unstable individuals were more likely than financially stable counterparts to miss their first appointment with a specialty behavioral health provider after referral from primary care. Previously documented attendance disparities based on race, ethnicity, and illness severity were not observed.
Conclusions: These findings can inform targeted strategies to increase attendance among patients with financial insecurity and reduce disparities in outpatient behavioral health services.
Keywords: Collaborative care; Integrated care; Primary care; Referrals.