Achieving same-day access in integrated primary care

Same-day access to behavioral health services is a critical feature of integrated primary care. Despite the benefits of same-day access, implementing and sustaining this key feature has been a challenge for multiple health care settings. Further, there is relatively little practical guidance on how to implement this practice management feature. Diverse program design solutions for same-day access are implemented in clinics across the Veterans Health Administration. The authors identified innovative approaches, developed in local facilities, with demonstrated success in sameday access that can be implemented in any setting. The purpose of this article is to describe five approaches for providing same-day access within integrated care. The authors discuss key considerations (staffing, space, program maturity), potential challenges and facilitators, and provide practical recommendations for implementation.