In September 2015, our Department received $12 million from the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to test a telepsychiatry extension of the Collaborative Care model for patients with PTSD or bipolar disorder in rural primary care clinics. The Study to Promote Innovation in Rural Integrated Telepsychiatry (SPIRIT) reached a significant milestone this week by enrolling over 1,000 patients, making it the largest treatment mental health trial for patients living in rural areas to date.

Led by John Fortney, PhD (Principal Investigator) and Jürgen Unützer, MD, MPH (Co-Principal Investigator) and managed by Lori Ferro, MHA, the study is taking place at 12 rural community health centers in Arkansas, Michigan, and Washington. The team is assigning patients by chance to receive either telepsychiatry-collaborative care or telepsychiatry-enhanced referral. The central question addressed by SPIRIT is whether it is better to expand the scope of Collaborative Care programs to treat patients with more complex psychiatric disorders, or to facilitate successful referrals to specialty mental health care. The ultimate goal is to help rural community health centers make decisions about how to provide mental health services to patients with PTSD or bipolar disorder.