Susan Busch, PhD
Susan Dwight Bliss Professor of Public Health and Professor in the Institution for Social and Policy StudiesCards
About
Research
Overview
Behavioral health care is often fragmented, underinsured, and subject to numerous access barriers. As a result, patients lack access to evidence-based treatments and face difficulties in finding providers with the required expertise. Our mission is to increase access to behavioral health services thereby improving symptoms and quality of life for individuals with serious and persistent mental illness. We conduct research focused on payments to providers that incentivize coordinated and high-quality care, parity in insurance coverage between behavioral health and medical treatments, and the impacts of increased commercialization in behavioral health treatment.
Medical Research Interests
Health Care Economics and Organizations; Health Care Quality, Access, and Evaluation; Health Services Research
Public Health Interests
Community Health; Health Care Quality, Efficiency; Health Care Financing; Health Care Management; Health Economics; Health Insurance; Health Policy; Mental Health; Substance Use, Addiction; Health Systems Reform
Publications
Featured Publications
Geographic Penetration of Private Equity Ownership in Outpatient and Residential Behavioral Health
Zhu J, Greenberg E, King M, Busch S. Geographic Penetration of Private Equity Ownership in Outpatient and Residential Behavioral Health. JAMA Psychiatry 2024, 81: 732-735. PMID: 38691384, PMCID: PMC11063916, DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2024.0825.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchParticipation of Behavioral Health Facilities in Medicare Accountable Care Organizations
Hou Y, Busch S, Newton H. Participation of Behavioral Health Facilities in Medicare Accountable Care Organizations. JAMA Health Forum 2024, 5: e244022. PMID: 39602108, DOI: 10.1001/jamahealthforum.2024.4022.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCharacteristics of Adults Treated at Mental Health Treatment Centers in the US, 2022
Busch S, Hockenberry J, Newton H. Characteristics of Adults Treated at Mental Health Treatment Centers in the US, 2022. JAMA Psychiatry 2024, 82 PMID: 39602152, PMCID: PMC11603377, DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2024.3842.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2024
Medicare Accountable Care Organization Treatment of Serious Mental Illness: Associations Between Behavioral Health Integration Activities and Outcomes.
Newton H, Colla C, Busch S, Tomaino M, Hardy B, Brunette M, Agravat D, Meara E. Medicare Accountable Care Organization Treatment of Serious Mental Illness: Associations Between Behavioral Health Integration Activities and Outcomes. Medical Care 2024 PMID: 39616411, DOI: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000002102.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMedicare accountable care organizationsAccountable care organizationsFee-for-service Medicare claimsPatient-level qualityPrimary care needsMental health careMental health hospitalMental health needsTop tertileCross-sectional associationsFee-for-serviceCare needsUtilization outcomesFollow-upHealth needsCare organizationsMental illnessHealth careMedicare claimsHealth HospitalCardiovascular disease monitoringBottom tertileBeneficiary characteristicsStudy sampleCareAccess to treatment before and after Medicare coverage of opioid treatment programs
Liu R, Beetham T, Newton H, Busch S. Access to treatment before and after Medicare coverage of opioid treatment programs. Health Affairs Scholar 2024, 2: qxae076. PMID: 38938273, PMCID: PMC11210307, DOI: 10.1093/haschl/qxae076.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchTreatment servicesOpioid use disorderTreatment programsOpioid treatment programsMedicare coverageFor-profit statusCounty-level changesTreat opioid use disorderNonwhite residentsNonwhite populationsOpioid use disorder treatment servicesSociodemographic characteristicsNational DirectoryServicesUse disorderTreatment facilitiesOutpatient settingMedicareAccessOpioidPatients’ Reasons for Using Out-of-Network Mental and General Medical Health Providers
Busch S, Kyanko K. Patients’ Reasons for Using Out-of-Network Mental and General Medical Health Providers. Psychiatric Services 2024, 75: 812-816. PMID: 38444357, DOI: 10.1176/appi.ps.20230212.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchOut-of-network careMedical health providersOut-of-networkHealth providersOut-of-network providersPatients' reasonsMental health careHealth care providersIn-network providersCare providersHealth careProvider directoriesMental healthNational Internet surveyPlan enrolleesCultural competenceProvidersCarePatientsHigh qualityEnrolleesHealthParticipantsMost-cited reasonReasons
2023
Provision of Digital Health Technologies for Opioid Use Disorder Treatment by US Health Care Organizations
Miller-Rosales C, Morden N, Brunette M, Busch S, Torous J, Meara E. Provision of Digital Health Technologies for Opioid Use Disorder Treatment by US Health Care Organizations. JAMA Network Open 2023, 6: e2323741. PMID: 37459098, PMCID: PMC10352858, DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.23741.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsOpioid use disorderCross-sectional studyCognitive behavior therapyDigital health technologiesRecovery support programMAIN OUTCOMEMental health therapyTreatment resourcesHealth technologiesOpioid use disorder treatmentCare organizationsMultivariable logistic regression modelHealth care organizationsAddiction medicine specialistsHealth therapyAccountable care organization contractsUse disorder treatmentLogistic regression modelsACO contractsSafety net organizationsAdjusted analysisUS health care organizationsAccountable care organizationsMedicine specialistsUse disordersInternal and Environmental Predictors of Physician Practice Use of Screening and Medications for Opioid Use Disorders
Miller-Rosales C, Busch S, Meara E, King A, D’Aunno T, Colla C. Internal and Environmental Predictors of Physician Practice Use of Screening and Medications for Opioid Use Disorders. Medical Care Research And Review 2023, 80: 410-422. PMID: 37036056, PMCID: PMC10949918, DOI: 10.1177/10775587231162681.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsOngoing opioid epidemicOpioid use disorderOpioid useUse disordersHealth information technology functionalityAvailability of MOUDPrimary careOpioid epidemicMOUDMultispecialty practicePhysician practicesMedicationsBehavioral cliniciansDemonstrated effectivenessDisordersPractice useScreeningCliniciansCare
2022
What Explains Changes in Availability of Specialty Mental Health Services in Organized Settings?
NEWTON H, HUMENSKY J, GOLDMAN H, BUSCH S. What Explains Changes in Availability of Specialty Mental Health Services in Organized Settings? Milbank Quarterly 2022, 100: 1166-1191. PMID: 36575952, PMCID: PMC9836237, DOI: 10.1111/1468-0009.12592.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSerious mental illnessCommunity mental health facilitiesMental health servicesMental health facilitiesMedicaid expansionEmergency walkPsychotropic medicationsHealth facilitiesNational Mental Health Services SurveyHealth servicesMental illnessSpecialty mental health organizationsSpecialty mental health servicesMental health service availabilityExpansion statesNon-Medicaid expansion statesAssertive community treatmentHealth service availabilityMedicaid expansion statesNew payment modelsCommunity outpatient settingsHealth Services SurveyFacility ownership typeFacility ownershipSupport servicesPhysician response to COVID-19-driven telehealth flexibility for opioid use disorder.
Beetham T, Fiellin DA, Busch SH. Physician response to COVID-19-driven telehealth flexibility for opioid use disorder. The American Journal Of Managed Care 2022, 28: 456-463. PMID: 36121359, DOI: 10.37765/ajmc.2022.89221.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsOpioid use disorder treatmentCOVID-19 pandemicEarly COVID-19 eraOpioid use disorderUse disorder treatmentOUD treatmentTelehealth useUse disordersPhysician responsesTelehealth effectivenessDisorder treatmentTelehealth technologyPhysiciansTelehealthCOVID-19 eraTelehealth regulationsCOVID-19Administrative dataMost respondentsTreatmentRetrospective usePandemicSurvey participationPerceptions of effectivenessRespondents' use
News
News
- May 02, 2024Source: Science Magazine
Study finds private equity expanding to mental health facilities
- October 13, 2022
Survey Shows Most Physicians Favor Allowing Telehealth to Treat Opioid-use Disorder
- July 26, 2022
As U.S. launches new crisis hotline, nearly half of counties lack response teams
- February 21, 2022
Newly Elected Members of Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering
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Health Policy & Management
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New Haven, CT 06520-8034
United States
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