Breakthrough behavioral health access

Virtual behavioral health services remove geographic, physical and other barriers to free-up clinician time and enable people to self-manage their situation more effectively. But Accenture research shows that over the past three years, consumers were minimally engaged in virtual channels for behavioral health services.

The role of technology in healthcare’s response to COVID-19 is a tipping point for virtual behavioral health services. Virtual care models expanded rapidly out of necessity during lockdown, creating new expectations for effective and reliable healthcare at a distance. This shift likely contributed to the fact that while consumers had not been widely using these services, they are overwhelmingly willing to do so today.

Accenture recent research points to material latent demand in these channels. A full 81% of consumers diagnosed with or experiencing a behavioral health condition definitely or probably would engage in a virtual channel.

In addition to the effect on people’s lives, better access to care is a potential breakthrough in terms of overall outcomes and medical spending. Virtual behavioral health services could materially expand access to treatment for more than 53 million people. This increased access can translate into reduced medical costs. Even a 1% increase in treatment for behavioral health disorders in this country could yield as much as $2.4 billion in medical savings annually in the United States.

As the industry looks to adopt virtual behavioral health services, there are three fundamentals to keeping them relevant and responsive to consumers’ needs.