New Study Reveals Impact of Telemental Health in Reducing Anxiety and Depression

DENVER, June 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CirrusMD today announced results of a recent six month study of telemental health services delivered by its physician network. The study found that integrated telebehavioral healthcare, provided by healthcare professionals to patients with general anxiety and depression, materially improved health and wellbeing, as measured by standardized assessment tools.

Rising Demand for Access to Telebehavioral Health Services

As demand for mental healthcare services surged during the COVID-19 pandemic and continues to climb, access to qualified behavioral therapy professionals has not kept pace. To help bridge gaps in mental health access, CirrusMD began formally delivering telemental health services in June 2020.

This new research study contains the first six months of results for telepsychiatry patient encounters conducted on the CirrusMD platform related to depression and anxiety disorders. Analysis of the data found that patients receiving behavioral healthcare and actively engaged in teletherapy treatment realized clinically meaningful changes in their mental health outcomes as measured in reductions to Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) scores.

Integrated Care That Starts with Primary Care Physicians

CirrusMD healthcare services are delivered via a secure, text-based, HIPAA-compliant platform that connects patients with physicians who comprise an integrated telehealth network of multi-specialty doctors.

In this integrated care model, clinicians identify potential mental health issues through targeted questions. Based on patient responses, physicians may administer standardized assessment tools — such as the GAD-7 and PHQ-9 — to determine what treatment interventions are needed. During a single telehealth encounter, a CirrusMD physician may provide patients guidance on medications, confer with a CirrusMD psychiatrist, and make a recommendation for follow-up care.

Continuity of Care Shows Results

After an initial telepsychiatry encounter, CirrusMD Primary Care and Specialty team doctors, including family medicine and psychiatry physicians, follow up with the patient to ensure that symptoms are improving. CirrusMD physicians track GAD-7 and PHQ-9 data, and if needed, adjust medications and refer patients to additional behavioral health services.

PHQ-9

PHQ-9 scores were used to measure longitudinal change in patient depression levels. The initial PHQ-9 score was 16.723, which falls within the moderately-severe range. Over an average of 8.1 weeks and 4.41 behavioral health encounters, patients in this study experienced a 7.71 reduction in PHQ-9 levels, lowering their final mean PHQ-9 score to 9.017, which falls within the mild range. This reduction represents a clinically significant change.

GAD-7

GAD-7 scores were used to measure longitudinal change in patient anxiety levels. The initial GAD-7 mean score among patients diagnosed with anxiety was 15.06, indicating severe anxiety. Over an average of 8.1 weeks and 4.41 telemental health encounters, patients in this study experienced a 6.9 point decrease in their GAD-7 scores, a clinically meaningful reduction. Over 68% of patients saw a GAD-7 point reduction of at least 5 points, and nearly 27% of patients reached full remission during this 8 week period. 

Immediate Care Helps Patients Feel Better Sooner

"In the time it usually takes to get an appointment with a traditional brick & mortar mental health professional, patients using our telemental health services are already getting better," said Dr. Elishia Oliva, MD, psychiatrist and specialty medical director at CirrusMD. "My role is focused on creating innovative ways to expand access to care and provide effective mental health services to more patients. What's exciting about this study is that we're able to demonstrate that by receiving care sooner — from qualified physicians via a well-designed virtual program — patients can get better faster."

"With access to mental health providers continuing to be a challenge, we're showing that CirrusMD physicians can address the needs of many patients seeking behavioral health support, helping to quickly improve their lives and mental wellbeing," concluded Dr. Oliva.

CirrusMD provides telehealth services spanning a broad range of health conditions, including chronic condition management, medication management, women's health, pediatrics, behavioral health, and answers to general health information questions.

View the study here.

About CirrusMD

CirrusMD is a different kind of telemedicine company. In less than a minute, patients reach a licensed physician via text, then conduct a care encounter at their pace and convenience. Available 24/7/365, CirrusMD's integrated care is delivered via multi-specialty, board-certified clinicians who can treat a broad range of conditions, from acute to chronic, and from primary care to specialty areas, including behavioral health. CirrusMD is available to nearly 10 million users across all 50 states, and exclusively offered through employers, brokers, health plans (including medicaid and medicare) and reseller partners.

Learn how CirrusMD is transforming telehealth: cirrusmd.com

SOURCE CirrusMD