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"Whole Person" Care Could Reduce WYO Medical Expenses

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Wednesday, December 3, 2014   

CASPER, Wyo. - A "whole person" approach to medical care can save states millions of dollars, according to research shared by the Central Wyoming Counseling Center.

Medical expenses are reduced when mental-health and physical-health treatments are integrated, the research showed. David Monhollen, chief executive of the center, said Wyoming should encourage hospitals and large medical practices to shift to that kind of model, both for the benefit of patients and the state's bottom line.

"That's been proven in research, time and time again," he said. "You can offset that medical cost by having mental-health and addiction treatment readily available."

One study included in the research showed that providing mental-health care to patients who were frequent users of emergency-room treatment reduced their repeat visits by 90 percent. Monhollen said most people who visit their regular physicians also have some mental-health needs, so a system that includes mental-health professionals in the same building or nearby best suits patient needs.

Monhollen said Wyoming has been slow to adopt the "whole person" approach to treatment, although he has seen some changes and hopes to see more.

"You're seeing practitioners reach out and recognizing that if we work together we can do a much better job of treating people," he said.

Most people don't realize that from 50 percent to 70 percent of daily doctor visits are from patients with medical needs related to significant psychological factors, Monhollen said.

The research, available online at ripsych.org, compiled several studies about mental health, substance abuse and medical treatment.


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