Alliance Spine and Pain Centers Implement Behavioral Health Screening With Mental Health Technologies’ Patented SmarTest™ Technology

AURORA, Ill., April 22, 2024 (Newswire.com) - Alliance Spine and Pain Centers automate regular behavioral health screening with MHT’s patented SmarTest™ platform to address comorbidities between chronic pain and mental health concerns. SmarTest™ allows Alliance Spine and Pain to set various screening parameters based upon appointment details, past assessment results, and other pertinent details. Their practice utilizes the PHQ-9, ORT, ODI, PHQ-15 and GAD-7 assessments. Through MHT’s integration, the screening process is entirely automated. Based upon screening rules set by Alliance, assessments are sent to the patient’s mobile number or email address. Assessment results are written directly into the patient’s progress notes for the provider to review.

When SmarTest™ identifies patients that indicate mental health concerns, patients are asked a conditional question if they would like to speak with a clinician at LifeStance Health, one of the nation’s largest providers of outpatient mental healthcare and MHT’s preferred partner. Upon gaining the patient’s consent, SmarTest™ sends the patient referral to LifeStance instantly, where they are matched with a clinician who specializes in their unique diagnosis. Another unique SmarTest™ feature is the alert capabilities. SmarTest™ can alert a designated staff member instantly on criteria set by your practice. Alliance Spine and Pain utilizes this feature to alert the provider if their patient indicates suicidal tendencies on the PHQ-9 and redirects the patient to the 988 Suicide Hotline landing page. 

Alliance Spine & Pain SmarTest™ Statistics (starting 2/25/2024):

• 8,002 patients tested.
• 21% scored above a 10 on the PHQ-9 and were asked if they would like to be referred to LifeStance Health; 32% of patients asked said "yes."
• 154 Medicaid patients scored above a 10 and were redirected to GA Medicaid BH page.

“MHT’s SmarTest™ platform has provided our practice with an efficient and effective process to screen our patients for various behavioral health concerns. SmarTest™ exceeds our screening requirements and provides us with the capability to instantly refer patients to a licensed mental health clinician. Through this partnership, we’ve been able to improve the level of care we provide our patients by assessing patients’ overall wellbeing. Alliance Spine and Pain values and enjoys working with the Mental Health Technologies team,” said Dr. Allen Hord, Medical Director at Alliance Spine and Pain.

Alliance Spine & Pain is a premier practice dedicated to providing real pain relief in its expansive network of offices in Austell, Augusta, Woodstock, Atlanta, Marietta, Conyers, Lawrenceville, Jasper, Cartersville, Dallas, Suwanee, Covington, Carrollton, Canton, Sandy Springs, Douglasville, Peachtree City, and Roswell, Georgia. Every patient receives personalized care and attention from a best-in-class group of physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, behavioral health specialists, patient concierges, and physician referral and leadership teams. 

Learn more about how MHT can automate the behavioral health screening process for health care providers at www.mhtech.com.

Source: Mental Health Technologies