Behavioral health providers and health IT leaders at ONC said data sharing is valuable only when it improves clinical decisions at the point of care and leads to better patient outcomes.
Although behavioral health was historically left out of federal IT incentives, new efforts are using AI and standardized data exchange to close interoperability gaps, ease provider burnout, and support collaboration across public and private healthcare systems.
At a recent Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology event, leaders from healthcare, technology, and policy shared updates during a session on behavioral health transformation, moderated by Dr. Jason Funderburk.
Experts from the Department of Veterans Affairs, Indian Health Service, Oracle Health, and others discussed how health IT can help tackle addiction, improve care coordination, and strengthen mental health services—while also highlighting ongoing challenges.
Barriers to mental health interoperability
Behavioral health IT has trailed behind medical providers, largely because the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) incentivized hospitals and clinics—but not behavioral health organizations—to adopt electronic records. This gap has fragmented interoperability between medical and behavioral providers, making coordinated, whole-person care more difficult.
Experts note that many state-funded programs still lag in using IT for care coordination, even though it’s critical for improving outcomes. To address this, the Department of Health and Human Services is exploring ways to overcome behavioral health data exchange challenges and enhance patient care.
At a broader level, leaders emphasize that interoperability is only a tool—its true value lies in improving outcomes and people’s lives, as highlighted by Dr. Jason Funderburk.
Data from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, based on 2024 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration surveys, shows uneven adoption of electronic health records: very high in federal facilities (97%), moderate in local/community settings (73%), slightly lower in private facilities (68%), and notably low in state-run facilities (38%).
Leaders also stress that patients often have multiple conditions, and how those conditions interact significantly impacts both outcomes and costs—making integrated data sharing even more important.
To close these gaps, ONC and SAMHSA launched a $20 million Behavioral Health IT Initiative to enable interoperability using FHIR standards. The program is piloting the USCDI+ Behavioral Health dataset across nine sites nationwide to standardize data exchange.
Additionally, organizations like the Indian Health Service highlight the need for culturally sensitive, efficient interoperability solutions that serve diverse populations, ensuring care systems respect both clinical and community-specific needs.
Using AI to ease workloads and improve patient care
Behavioral health clinicians, like those in medical settings, are increasingly using ambient AI tools to capture therapy sessions and automatically generate clinical notes. According to Steve Herron of Oracle Health, studies show these tools can cut documentation time by up to 30 minutes per day, helping reduce burnout.
AI is also addressing a major downside of earlier digital transformation efforts. While the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) improved record digitization and sharing, it also shifted clinicians’ focus toward screens, effectively turning many into data-entry workers during patient care.
Now, AI is helping reverse that trend by summarizing fragmented patient histories into quick, usable insights before appointments—allowing clinicians to refocus on patients.
Meanwhile, Ashley Newton of Centerstone emphasized that data analysis remains essential to determine which treatments work best and for whom. She noted that interoperability should go beyond technical data exchange and support meaningful clinical application.
Despite progress, challenges remain. Mapping clinical data effectively to behavioral health treatments and applying decision-support tools in real-world settings still face practical limitations and barriers.
Interoperability is just the starting point
Dr. Jason Funderburk asked Quinn Bastian how the Department of Veterans Affairs uses EHR data to improve coordination for mental health and substance use care.
Bastian explained that the Veterans Health Administration is moving from fragmented legacy systems to a single, unified EHR under its modernization program with Oracle Health. This effort aims to eliminate data silos and enable stronger collaboration across VA facilities and with community providers.
He noted that while this transition will improve connectivity, interoperability alone is just the beginning. The real goal is deeper clinical integration—where providers work together using a shared treatment plan instead of separate approaches at different organizations.
Ultimately, the value of data exchange lies in improving patient outcomes and quality of life, ensuring that veterans experience meaningful recovery and better day-to-day functioning.
The VA is also leveraging AI to analyze EHR data for patterns—such as missed appointments, note language, and medication changes—to help prevent mental health crises. Through initiatives like REACH VET, predictive analytics are used to identify veterans at high risk of suicide, enabling timely outreach and engagement in care.
