COVID-19 Emergency Reforms in Massachusetts to Support Behavioral Health Care and Reduce Mortality of People With Serious Mental Illness
COVID-19 Emergency Reforms in Massachusetts to Support Behavioral Health Care and Reduce Mortality of People With Serious Mental Illness
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DOI：
10.1176/appi.ps.202000244
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发表时间：
2020-10-01
影响因子：
3.8
通讯作者：
Bird, Bruce L.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Bartels, Stephen J.;Baggett, Travis P.;Bird, Bruce L.
患有严重精神疾病的人面临的COVID-19发病率和死亡率风险不成比例，因为与不良冠状病毒结果直接相关的风险因素比例很高，包括吸烟、慢性阻塞性肺病、心血管疾病和糖尿病，沿着住房不稳定、无家可归、粮食不安全和贫困。基于社区的行为健康组织也面临着不利后果的风险，因为收入急剧下降，劳动力减少。马萨诸塞州通过迅速实施各种政策、监管和支付改革来应对这场危机。本专栏描述了其中的一些改革，这些改革旨在加强远程医疗服务，确保获得所需的药物和住院护理人员，并支持基于社区的行为健康服务的财务生计。
People with serious mental illness are at disproportionate risk of COVID-19 morbidity and mortality because of high rates of risk factors that directly parallel those related to poor coronavirus outcomes, including smoking, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes, along with housing instability, homelessness, food insecurity, and poverty. Community-based behavioral health organizations are also at risk of adverse outcomes because of dramatic declines in revenues and a diminished workforce. The State of Massachusetts has responded to this crisis by rapidly implementing a variety of policy, regulatory, and payment reforms. This column describes some of these reforms, which are designed to enhance remote telehealth delivery of care, ensure access to needed medications and residential care staff, and support the financial livelihood of community-based behavioral health services.