Degree of Primary Care Integration Predicts Job Satisfaction and Emotional Exhaustion Among Rural Medical and Behavioral Healthcare Providers

Introduction: Minimal research on integrated primary care (IPC) or integrated behavioral health (IBH) has examined clinics in rural communities. The relationships between provider burnout, job satisfaction, and IBH/IPC practices remain understudied, particularly in rural settings. Method: We employed an online survey of 147 medical and behavioral health care providers in primary care settings throughout Montana. Respondents self-identified as predominantly White/European American (89.4%) and female (76.7%). We tested whether degree of adherence to IBH/IPC practices concurrently predicted providers' reports of emotional exhaustion (EE), a dimension of burnout, and job satisfaction. Data were collected during the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2020. Results: In multiple linear regression analyses, providers' reports of IBH/IPC practices significantly predicted EE (B = -0.036, p < .01) and job satisfaction (B = 0.123, p < .05), suggesting that higher levels of integration were linked to less EE and greater job satisfaction. Discussion: Our findings contribute to the evidence base regarding the potential usefulness of IBH/IPC models. Specifically, because existing research links provider burnout and low job satisfaction with provider retention difficulties and diminished health, poor patient satisfaction and outcomes, and cost inefficiencies, our findings have potential to inform policy-level discussions regarding the use of IBH/IPC models in rural states like Montana.