LAUSR

BACKGROUND Pediatric integrated care (PIC), which involves primary care and behavioral health clinicians working together with patients and families, has been promoted as a best practice in the provision of care. In this context, behavioral health includes behavioral elements in the care of mental health and substance abuse conditions, chronic illness and physical symptoms associated with stress, and addressing health behaviors. Models of and contexts in which PIC has been applied vary, as do the outcomes and measures used to determine its value. Thus, this study seeks to better understand 1) what pediatric subpopulations are receiving integrated care, 2) which models of PIC are being studied, 3) what PIC outcomes are being explored and what measures and strategies are being used to assess those outcomes, and 4) whether the various models are resulting in positive outcomes. These questions have significant policy and clinical implications, given current national- and state-level efforts aimed at promoting integrated healthcare. METHODS This study utilized Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews to identify relevant articles published between January 1994 and June 30, 2020. The search utilized three databases: PubMed, PsycInfo, and CINAHL. A total of 28 articles met the eligibility criteria for inclusion. RESULTS Overall acceptability of PIC appears to be high for patients and providers, with access, screening, and engagement generally increasing. However, several gaps in the knowledge base on PIC were uncovered, and for some studies, ascertaining which models of integrated care were being implemented proved difficult. CONCLUSION PIC has the potential to improve access to and quality of behavioral health care, but more research is needed to understand what models of PIC prove most beneficial and which policies and conditions promote cost efficiency. Rigorous evaluation of patient outcomes, provider training, institutional buy-in, and system-level changes are needed.