What Is Mobile Integrated Health?
Mobile Integrated Health (MIH) is transforming healthcare services. Instead of confining services to a clinic or hospital, the mobile integrated healthcare model brings care services directly into communities. This happens through home visits, telehealth, mobile vans, and partnerships with EMS, police, and local organizations.
This approach offers behavioral health providers a way to meet patients where they are, address crises in real time, and expand access to services for vulnerable populations. An MIH program blends mobile care, community health resources, telehealth services, and other features into one integrated system.
The Benefits of Mobile Integrated Health
Reduce Strain on EMS, Police, and Overburdened Hospital Systems
Behavioral Health providers with Mobile Integrated Health services can assist Emergency Medical Services (EMS) professionals, community paramedics, and police in serving community health and relieving overburdened hospital systems. When the strain is too great on emergency resources in the community, fewer individuals can receive the help they need.
Research shows that 15% of Medicare beneficiaries transported to the Emergency Department by EMS were either non-emergencies or could have been adequately treated by other care providers. If care providers like behavioral health professionals had MIH services, they could take on additional clients from EMS, providing in-house telehealth services. They can offer relief to prevent overfilled hospitals and save clients from unnecessary hospital bills.
Additionally, police officers in some areas regularly encounter individuals experiencing mental health crises, such as overdose or suicidal behaviors. Officers spend time transporting these individuals to jails or hospitals, keeping them from attending to public safety emergencies. Suppose police officers can offer these individuals a referral for immediate, remote mental health treatment via telehealth with a behavioral health professional. In that case, more individuals can stay out of local jails.
With an MIH-supportive EHR solution, providers can gain insight into a new client's health background, including any history of substance abuse or addiction. They could then take on cases referred to by EMS or police and continue with behavioral health care and a treatment plan with the client moving forward.
Expanding Behavioral Health Community Reach
MIH opens doors to more flexible and accessible care plan options, like:
Crisis Calls
Through partnering with EMS, behavioral health providers can quickly help clients in crisis, like those experiencing suicide attempts or overdoses. Round-the-clock, on-call services are on the rise, as is bipartisan support for increasing funding for behavioral health first responders. Now, providers can care for clients in their homes, on the streets, or in hospitals, using telehealth to do check-ups and evaluations even if they're not physically there.
Partnered Pop-Up Clinics
Another benefit of mobile integrated health that increases your organization’s community reach is through pop-up clinics. By partnering with public health departments, primary care, or local housing authorities, your organization can access more clients and work together to address social determinants of health in low-income areas.
Organizations reaching out to community members can offer mental health screenings alongside other services, making care more accessible. With telehealth and an EHR equipped to provide MIH services, care can be accessible anywhere with an internet connection.
Mobile Van Programs
Some behavioral health organizations are starting mobile integrated care units, which utilize vans to provide services in the community. Besides pop-up clinics at specific community locations, you can take your services to the streets where prospective clients live for initial intake and screenings.
School Health
Many schools don’t have the resources to employ a therapist or counselor full-time, so a great option is to utilize mobile health professionals to treat students who need behavioral health services. Behavioral health organizations can provide care to students during the school day through telehealth or a mobile/ pop-up clinic on select days. Choose a FERPA-certified EHR to protect student privacy and be legally compliant for school programs.
Mobile Medication Units: Expanding MIH
A recent national study highlights how mobile medication units (MMUs) are advancing the mobile integrated healthcare model and expanding access to behavioral health services. MMUs provide treatments in mobile settings, reaching patients in rural areas, urban treatment deserts, and underserved populations such as people experiencing homelessness or incarceration. By bringing care directly to the community, MMUs improve outcomes, reduce overdose risks, and engage people who were not previously connected to treatment.
However, scaling these programs requires overcoming barriers such as startup costs, community stigma, and limited Medicaid reimbursement. Policy recommendations include expanding grant funding, improving reimbursement rates, and building peer-learning networks to help new programs succeed. These findings reinforce that mobile healthcare initiatives—including MMUs, mobile vans, and pop-up clinics—are vital to creating more accessible, patient-centered care.
Patient-Centered Care
Patient-centered care is a benefit of mobile integrated health. It includes active collaboration between providers and clients and offers options for treatment unique to their needs, including mobile care. These options can provide more accessible alternatives to in-person meetings, especially for those with transportation challenges or immunocompromised individuals.
When flexible treatment options are available at the right time, even if the client isn’t physically in your office, their needs are put first, and they can receive the best care. Virtual group therapy sessions can also be provided, which offer the benefits of cultivating a sense of belonging with others undergoing similar treatment therapies, no matter the location.
Whole-Person Care
With robust referral systems, MIH providers can connect patients to community health resources like housing programs, food pantries, or rehabilitation centers. This collaboration supports whole-person care and addresses social determinants of health (SDOH).
Essential Tools for a Successful MIH Program
Organizations need the right technology to fully realize the benefits of mobile healthcare. A mobile-friendly EHR with integrated features ensures compliance, efficiency, and patient engagement.
Integrated Telehealth
Telehealth emerged as a significant aspect of healthcare during the pandemic and accounts for many client visits. Telehealth provides remote client care, which is convenient for clients and providers and addresses social determinants of health for those who cannot physically attend visits. This also benefits care teams in rural areas, ensuring access to services regardless of location.
Social determinants of health aided by Telehealth:
- Economic Opportunity
- Transportation
- Neighborhood environment
Telehealth relies on technology for HIPAA-compliant visits, such as videoconferencing, data sharing, and clinical documentation. Look for an EHR solution that provides telehealth directly embedded in its system. This ensures a seamless transfer of clinical documentation while protecting client privacy with additional security measures. An embedded telehealth feature inside your EHR can also be less costly than a separate telehealth application.
Patient Portal
Having a patient portal is essential for the success of Mobile Integrated Health. The patient portal is a tool for Mobile Integrated Health Services that allows your clients to securely access their health information and actively participate in their care at any time and anywhere they have internet access.
Clients can use a patient portal to:
- Request, confirm, cancel, or reschedule appointments
- eCheck-in for appointments ahead of time
- Update patient demographic and insurance information
- Send HIPAA-compliant messages to their healthcare provider
- View medications and test results
- Sign consent forms for medical records access
The patient portal also increases client control over their care. Clients can track and update their medications, verify their medical history, and view treatment plans and notes from their providers. They do not need to store their own paperwork or take notes during appointments, as their providers can electronically message them educational resources or other information from their sessions via the patient portal.
Golden Thread Documentation
An EHR created for behavioral health organizations will reduce strain on your staff. This is great for everyone, from clinicians to billers. The Golden Thread is a method of behavioral health documentation that weaves together your client’s clinical information, diagnostic assessments, treatment plans, and progress notes, and links them all to your billing in your EHR. It aligns all aspects of your practice and increases reimbursements with faster turnaround on claims and decreased denials.
In an MIH setting, some EHRs offer progress note documentation and integration with telehealth. Some solutions also offer e-prescribing of controlled substances/medication management so providers can send medication requests directly from the EHR. These solutions understand the need to seamlessly connect your workflow through the golden thread, especially when offering mobile health services. They allow you to focus more on treating your clients and less time on paperwork.
Referral Orders
An integrated EHR solution with features like referral orders allows providers to safely send client data to outside organizations so clients can get additional treatment if needed. In addition, some EHR solutions can connect to HIEs, immunization registries, and labs, allowing providers to pull up client records from other secure health organizations to see a full picture of their clients’ health.
By connecting to an HIE, your behavioral health organization can flag social determinants of health to refer clients to the help they need, like:
- Housing Services or shelters
- Food pantries or other food assistance programs
- Rehabilitation centers
- Specialists
- WIC, Family Planning, or other family programs at a local public health department
Appointment Reminders
Many clients who suffer from substance use disorder or other mental health challenges take advantage of mobile care options, which continue their care outside of the office setting. To help remind them of upcoming appointments, a mobile-friendly EHR solution can send automated appointment reminders (via text, email, or phone call).
Providers can also send follow-up messages after appointments to their clients through an EHR to check how their treatment plan is going. This reduces the strain on providers or practice administrators to do this manually, if at all, and helps clients stay on track.
Why Some Providers Resist Mobile Care
Despite strong patient demand, some providers hesitate to adopt mobile health technologies. Common concerns include:
- Loss of control: Some physicians worry that mobile access gives patients “too much independence.”
- Privacy and security: Organizations must ensure HIPAA compliance and robust cybersecurity.
- Change management: New workflows and technologies can feel overwhelming for small teams.
However, federal standards like Meaningful Use already require patient access to records through secure portals. With growing patient expectations and funding opportunities, embracing mHealth is no longer optional—it’s essential.
Steps to Implement Mobile Integrated Health
For organizations exploring an MIH program, success comes from combining vision with practical steps:
- Assess community needs to identify service gaps and high-priority areas.
- Build internal capacity by training staff and supporting retention.
- Choose a trusted technology partner with experience in mobile healthcare and behavioral health.
- Adopt mobile-friendly EHR tools with embedded telehealth and referral capabilities.
- Plan for cybersecurity with regular updates, backups, and compliance checks.
- Explore funding opportunities for mobile care, telehealth services, and behavioral health integration.
The Future of Mobile Healthcare
Mobile Integrated Health programs are reshaping healthcare delivery. By combining mobile care, telehealth services, and community health resources, providers can expand access, reduce system strain, and deliver patient-centered, whole-person treatment.
Adopting the mobile integrated healthcare model is more than an upgrade for behavioral health organizations—it’s an investment in healthier, more resilient communities.
