Virtual coordination between VA primary care and mental health services
Virtual Care Coordination in VA Primary Care-Mental Health Integration
This project looks at how Veterans who start mental health care through virtual VA visits can get same-day connection to mental health support.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11196747 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a Veteran's point of view, the team will look at VA care records to see why same-day handoffs to Primary Care-Mental Health Integration (PC-MHI) happen less often after virtual visits than after in-person visits. They will compare patterns of same-day access for virtual versus in-person starts and identify factors that can be changed to improve virtual coordination. The work builds on preliminary findings at a large VA center and focuses on practical barriers to timely follow-up after virtual medical visits. Findings will be used to suggest ways to help Veterans keep getting scheduled mental health care after virtual appointments.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Veterans who receive primary care, urgent care, or emergency care within the VA and who begin PC-MHI services—especially those who start care through virtual/telehealth visits—are the ideal candidates.
Not a fit: Veterans who do not use VA telehealth, who already receive same-day in-person mental health care, or who get care outside the VA are unlikely to see direct benefits from this specific project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help more Veterans get same-day mental health support after a medical visit and reduce loss to follow-up.
How similar studies have performed: Early work from this group found higher same-day access for in-person visits than for virtual ones, and this project is among the first to focus specifically on factors affecting virtual same-day PC-MHI access.
Where this research is happening
Los Angeles, United States
- VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System — Los Angeles, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Leung, Lucinda B — VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System
- Study coordinator: Leung, Lucinda B
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.