Collaborative Care : Updates for Practicing in the Times of COVID19

Amy Jones

Virna Little

Jordana Rutigliano

CCMP Program Updates

Amy Jones

Changes in CCMP requirements

Program Updates

Upcoming

Optimizing Collaborative Care During COVID

Redefining screening algorithm

Rethinking who is at risk

Patients who are diagnosed

Patients who are at risk, quarantined , significant others

Significant others of those who are hospitalized

Prenatal/post partum

Systemic approaches – asking during each telehealth visit

Patients who call the front desk

Patients discharged from Collaborative Care

Considerations for Billing Collaborative Care with Recent TeleHealth Transitions

• How do changes in “ in person “ codes to telehealth change your Collaborative Care services

• If you were providing both kinds of visits prior than you can continue to do so

Telehealth & HIPAA in the age of COVID-19

General Privacy Considerations for Telehealth

• Technology platforms – are they secure?• Visibility – making sure privacy is maintained

just as it would be in an office setting • Other people in your home • Other people in their home• What is visible in the background?

• Consent and documentation of consent

HIPAA Changes in COVID Emergency

• The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) at the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has stated their intent to use their enforcement discretion to relax some aspects of HIPAA during the COVID emergency

• This doesn’t mean HIPAA/ HITECH is changed forever, or even changed at all

• This does mean OCR will not impose penalties for noncompliance with certain regulatory requirements for the duration of the emergency

What has changed?

• Providers can use ANY audio or video communication products to deliver telehealth – even if not HIPAA compliant

• Few exceptions: Facebook Live, Twitch, TikTok and similar public-facing platforms

• You are still expected to inform clients if you are not using a HIPAA compliant platform

List of Vendors that Attest to HIPAA compliance

• Skype for Business/ Microsoft Teams• Updox• Vsee• Zoom• Doxy.me• Google G Suite Hangouts Meet• Cisco Webex• Amazon Chime• GoTo Meeting• Spruce

Consent

• OMH: Consent for treatment, when required, and treatment plan signatures may be managed remotely during the disaster.

• Verbal consent should still be documented clearly, and written consent obtained when feasible

• No explicit guidance from OCR/HHS on changes in consent requirements for patient information sharing• Reminder that you are generally allowed

to share information with other care team members under HIPAA

• Generally, consider the needs of the client as primary concern

General Considerations

• Explain to clients that it is important they get care, and offer options (video, telephone)

• Collaborative care as a model is uniquely able to adapt to these changes since it is not always office-based

• Technology can also be leveraged for care team meetings and psych consults that may usually occur in person

• Additional flexibility during this emergency can get you up and running to meet patient needs as quickly and completely as possible

• Many privacy rules still apply – so be cautious as you usually would!

Questions? Please type your questions in the chat box !