Geisinger’s innovative response to the surge in demand for behavioral health services during the COVID-19 pandemic involved pioneering virtual group therapy through telemedicine. Facing extensive wait times for individual psychotherapy, the predominantly rural health system successfully leveraged Microsoft Bookings for Groups and Teams to seamlessly transition in-person group sessions to a virtual platform. The implementation not only ensured service continuity but significantly expanded capacity, reducing wait times and providing flexibility in scheduling. Benjamin C. Gonzales, Operations Manager II, emphasizes the transformative potential of telemedicine-supported group services, offering insights for healthcare leaders to enhance care accessibility and leverage talents beyond immediate service areas.
As the COVID-19 pandemic placed unprecedented strain on mental health services, Geisinger’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health confronted escalating demand for adult psychotherapy services. Faced with prolonged wait times and logistical challenges posed by its predominantly rural service area, Geisinger sought a groundbreaking solution. The answer lay in virtual group therapy, a concept previously unexplored due to its complexity. This article explores how Geisinger overcame hurdles, embraced telemedicine, and successfully implemented virtual group therapy to not only address immediate challenges but also revolutionize its approach to mental health care.
The Challenge: Meeting Soaring Demand for Behavioral Health Services
As the pandemic unfolded, Geisinger experienced a substantial uptick in demand for adult psychotherapy services, resulting in wait times of several months and an overwhelming backlog of orders. Simultaneously, the health system was transitioning a majority of its outpatient behavioral health visits to telemedicine, with over 80% of appointments being conducted virtually.
Recognizing the vital role that group therapy plays in treating mental health issues, the department faced a dilemma – historically, group therapy services were not offered virtually due to logistical complexities. Geisinger’s predominantly rural service area posed additional challenges, as patients faced significant travel distances for in-person group sessions. The need for a virtual solution became even more critical with the addition of over 70 providers to the behavioral health team during the pandemic, many of whom were telemedicine providers specializing in virtual psychotherapy.
The Proposal: Implementing Virtual Group Therapy for Service Continuity
The proposed solution was virtual group therapy, aiming to address multiple challenges simultaneously. The primary goal was to ensure service continuity during a period when in-person services were restricted due to the pandemic. Groups played a crucial role, particularly for patients enrolled in intensive outpatient programs.
Virtual groups also provided a secure way to schedule patients, overcoming challenges associated with sharing sensitive information like email addresses. Moreover, the implementation aimed to offer a seamless experience by providing content to patients before and after group sessions, facilitating better preparation for therapeutic engagement.
Meeting the Challenge: Implementation and Platform Selection
Geisinger partnered with the Center for Telemedicine to implement virtual groups. Microsoft Bookings for Groups emerged as the preferred platform due to its secure group invitations that didn’t expose patient emails. The platform allowed for the creation of templates, streamlining the scheduling process by including essential details like providers, group names, times, and participant limits. The integration of Microsoft Teams, widely used within Geisinger for nonclinical purposes, facilitated a smooth transition for both staff and providers.
While group scheduling and documentation remained separate processes (using Booking for Groups and Epic, respectively), this approach allowed providers to use Epic for clinical documentation while relying on Microsoft Teams for direct patient connections.
Results: Ensuring Service Continuity and Expanding Capacity
The successful implementation of virtual group therapy resulted in remarkable outcomes for Geisinger. Nearly all in-person groups, including the intensive outpatient program, were seamlessly transitioned to telemedicine, ensuring uninterrupted care for patients with mental health and substance use disorders.
The increased capacity afforded by virtual groups allowed Geisinger to provide services to 172 patients weekly, a substantial improvement compared to individual psychotherapy, which could only accommodate 64 patients with the same capacity. Wait times for group sessions significantly decreased, with most groups able to accommodate new patients within a week, in stark contrast to the months-long wait for individual psychotherapy.
The implementation also enabled greater flexibility in scheduling, offering redundant group sessions to cater to patients’ preferred days and times. Additionally, Geisinger successfully onboarded over a dozen remote providers to enhance group coverage, leveraging the geographic spread of its team.
Advice for Others: Embracing Telemedicine for Group Services
Benjamin C. Gonzales, Operations Manager II, Virtual Care, Behavioral Health, at Geisinger, offers valuable insights for healthcare leaders considering similar approaches. He emphasizes the importance of exploring group services supported by telemedicine, noting that patient needs are often met effectively in a group setting, allowing individual therapy access for those who need it the most.
Furthermore, Gonzales encourages leaders to consider how technology facilitates leveraging talents outside their immediate service area. Geisinger’s success in adding remote providers highlights the potential for creating redundancy, expanding opportunities for patients to join groups, and scaling access.
Geisinger’s journey into virtual group therapy underscores the transformative power of technology in addressing mental health challenges. The successful integration of telemedicine, specifically Microsoft Bookings for Groups and Teams, not only provided uninterrupted care during the pandemic but also enhanced service accessibility and flexibility. The results speak volumes – increased capacity, reduced wait times, and the ability to onboard remote providers. As healthcare leaders navigate the evolving landscape of mental health services, Geisinger’s experience offers a blueprint for leveraging telemedicine to meet growing demands, expand reach, and ultimately revolutionize the delivery of behavioral health care.
