- Using a tablet to connect patients virtually with social workers during primary care visits resulted in high satisfaction levels, a Mayo Clinic study revealed.
According to the researchers, 20 percent of US counties have a need for mental health professionals that are not met. Even though social worker interventions during primary care delivery have generally been proven successful, the idea of delivering virtual social work services from a specific location came about during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Researchers tested the virtual intervention at two Mayo Clinic-affiliated primary care clinics in Rochester, Minnesota, which together included over 50 providers caring for more than 40,000 patients. Teams were formed, which consisted of telemedicine experts, social work and mental health providers, primary care and desk representatives, a qualitative researcher, and administrative staff. To avoid biased results, the social worker came from a different clinic.
By 