The Delaware health system and two digital health companies have joined forces to create a digital health platform that will allow college students to access a wide range of services, including primary care, physical rehabilitation and mental health and substance abuse care, from their computer or mobile device.
ChristianaCare is launching a bundled virtual care program aimed at helping college-aged students easily access a wide range of healthcare services ranging from primary care and physical therapy through mental health and addiction treatment.
The Delaware health system is partnering with digital health providers PursueCare and SimpleTherapy to create the program, which offers a single digital portal, accessible via an mHealth app on mobile devices and computers, through which students can connect with internal and family medicine providers from ChristianaCare's Center for Virtual Health.
The platform will also allow students to access mental health, psychiatric and medication-assisted treatment providers affiliated with PursueCare and physical therapists affiliated with SimpleTherapy and specializing in musculoskeletal care, acute or chronic pain management, and strength and mobility training.
The new program targets students who have problems accessing healthcare, particularly for sensitive issues like mental health concerns are substance abuse. They may be far from home, unable to get in touch with their primary care provider and either too busy or hesitant to visit the health center on campus.
“When college students are able to access medical, behavioral health and musculoskeletal services through their phone or laptop, from their dorm room or a private space on campus, they’ll be more likely to get help when they need it," Sharon Anderson, MS, RN, FACHE, ChristianaCare’s chief virtual health officer and president of ChristianaCare’s Center for Virtual Health, said in a press release. "This is about delivering care to students on their terms, so that they can be healthy and supported with high-quality care throughout their college experience.”
The program also fits a need for colleges and universities who are struggling to address a nationwide surge in mental health and substance abuse cases, and an increase in student suicides. While many are beefing up services through their health center, digital health and telehealth partnerships with health systems and specialty care providers offer another avenue to improve access to care.
“For college and university student health services and administrators, this partnership offers a powerful new way to provide comprehensive, affordable health solutions that benefit students,” Anderson said. “In a highly competitive recruiting environment, these solutions are easy to implement and can add tremendous value."
The platform enables students to access digital health resources, assessments and virtual care modules at any time, as well as connecting via a telemedicine portal to care providers. They'll also be able to use the PursueCareRx portal for pharmacy services.
Participating colleges and universities will be able to offer the branded program to students for a flat fee, enabling them to access the portal whenever and as many times as they need help.
The program is currently licensed to operate in Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, with plans to expand to other states.
“When college students are able to access medical, behavioral health, and musculoskeletal services through their phone or laptop, from their dorm room or a private space on campus, they’ll be more likely to get help when they need it.”
— Sharon Anderson, MS, RN, FACHE, chief virtual health officer at ChristianaCare and president of the health system's Center for Virtual Health.
Eric Wicklund is the associate content manager and senior editor for Innovation at HealthLeaders.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
College students often face challenges accessing healthcare, especially for sensisitve issues like mental health and substance abuse, because they don't have easy access to their primary care provider and they're too busy or worried about walking into the school's health center.
Colleges and universities across the country are partnering with health systems and digital health companies to create virtual care platforms, through which students can access resources and assessments and connect with care providers and specialists at the time and place of their choosing.
ChristianaCare will offer this program to schools, who can charge students a flat fee for access to health system care providers and specialists from PursueCare and SimpleTherapy at any time and as many times as they need. The program is licensed in four states now, with plans to expand to other states.