Norman H. Rasmussen

Patient self-assessment factors predictive of persistent depressive symptoms 6 months after enrollment in collaborative care management.

Collaborative care management (CCM) is effective for improving depression outcomes. However, a subset of patients will still have symptoms after 6 months. This study sought to determine whether routinely obtained baseline clinical, demographic, and self‐assessment variables would predict which patients endorse persistent depressive symptoms (PDS) after 6 months. By estimating the relative risk associated with the patient variables, we aimed to outline the combinations of factors predictive of PDS after CCM enrollment.

Age of Depressed Patient does Not Affect Clinical Outcome in Collaborative Care Management

Abstract Clinical response and remission for the treatment of depression has been shown to be improved utilizing collaborative care management (CCM). Prior studies have indicated that the presence of mental health comorbidities noted by self-rated screening tools at the intake for CCM are associated with worsening outcomes; few have examined directly the impact of age on clinical response and remission. The hypothesis was that when controlling for other mental health and demographic variables, the age of the patient at implementation of CCM does not significantly impact clinical outcome, and that CCM shows consistent efficacy across the adult age spectrum. We performed a retrospective chart analysis of a cohort of 574 patients with a clinical diagnosis of major depression (not dysthymia) treated in CCM who had 6 months of follow-up data. Using the age group as a categorical variable in logistic regression models demonstrated that while maintaining control of all other variables, age grouping remained a nonsignificant predictor of clinical response (P ≥ 0.1842) and remission (P ≥ 0.1919) after 6 months of treatment. In both models, a lower Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 score and a negative Mood Disorder Questionnaire score were predictive of clinical response and remission. However, the initial Patient Health Questionnaire-9 score was a statistically significant predictor only for clinical remission (P = 0.0094), not for response (P = 0.0645), at 6 months. In a subset (n = 295) of the study cohort, clinical remission at 12 months was also not associated with age grouping (P ≥ 0.3355). The variables that were predictive of remission at 12 months were the presence of clinical remission at 6 months (odds ratio [OR], 7.4820; confidence interval [CI], 3.9301-14.0389; P < 0.0001), clinical response (with persistent symptoms) (OR, 2.7722; CI, 1.1950-6.4313; P = 0.0176), and a lower initial Patient Health Questionnaire-9 score (OR, 0.9121; CI, 0.8475-0.9816; P = 0.0140). Our study suggests that using CCM for depression treatment may transcend age-related differences in depression and result in positive outcomes regardless of age.

Depression care management: Impact of implementation on health system costs

This study examined the mental health care costs associated with implementation of a collaborative care management (CCM) of treatment for depression in primary care. A retrospective review of all costs was performed over a 2-year period associated with providing care to adult patients at clinical sites with CCM versus those with usual care, comparing total and mental health per member per month (PMPM) costs for 2008 and 2009 (patient population = 103 000). The mental health-PMPM costs as a percentage of total health care costs at the clinic without CCM were 4.65% in 2008 and 4.5% in 2009 (p = .085). In the clinics with CCM, there was a significant difference between the 2 years with a decrease noted in 2009 of 4.91% compared with 4.36% in 2008 (p < .0001). This study demonstrated that, on a population basis with the implementation of CCM, the metric of mental health-PMPM (using the actual costs of delivering care) suggested that an increased short-term cost of care is not always realized. Collaborative care management treatment for depression may be a more cost-efficient method of care for the population as a whole, even in the short term.

Physical symptoms that predict psychiatric disorders in rural primary care adults.

RATIONALE, AIMS AND OBJECTIVES There is a robust association between physical symptoms and mental distress, but recognition rates of psychiatric disorders by primary care doctors are low. We investigated patient-reported physical symptoms as predictors of concurrent psychiatric disorders in rural primary care adult outpatients. METHOD A convenience sample of 1092 patients were assessed with a two-stage diagnostic system consisting of a brief screening questionnaire and a clinician-administered semi-structured interview that linked common physical symptoms with the concurrent presence of psychiatric disorders. RESULTS Somatoform physical symptoms were highly predictive of the concurrent presence of a psychiatric disorder, with odds ratios ranging from 10.4 (fainting spells) to 54.6 (shortness of breath). Aggregate analysis of somatoform and non-somatoform symptoms relative to no physical symptom produced odds ratios of 3.0 or higher for headaches, chest pain, dizziness, sleep problem, shortness of breath, tired or low energy, and fainting spells. As the number of symptoms (especially somatoform) increased, the odds of a psychiatric disorder increased. CONCLUSION Although individual physical symptoms are valid triggers for suspecting a psychiatric disorder, the most powerful correlates are total number of physical complaints and somatoform symptom status.

Illness severity and total visits in family medicine.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to estimate the independent effect of clinical severity on visit utilization by family medicine patients so that disease management programmes can be targeted accurately and immediately towards patients most likely to benefit from them. DESIGN A convenience sample of 698 primary care patients was analysed. All patients had been referred to a medical specialist. Utilization of all types of medical services including laboratory, radiology and ancillary services was used to classify patients as high-utilizers (the top 20%) or not high-utilizers. Patients were stratified into three severity categories based on point scores assigned to specific diseases. The diagnoses included in the Charlson severity index were used to score each patient and the Charlson point scores were used to measure severity. The odds of being a high-utilizer were adjusted for severity category and demographic variables. RESULTS Severity was independently related to the odds of being a high-user (adjusted odds ratio = 2.7 for severity = 1 and 5.7 for severity = 2, with the reference category being severity = 0). Age was related to high-use in univariate analyses but not in multivariate analyses. CONCLUSIONS Case management programmes in primary care practices should consider using disease severity to identify cases. Severity data can be abstracted by medical secretaries who review narrative problem lists as well as billing codes.

Increased Anxiety and Length of Treatment Associated With Depressed Patients Who are Readmitted to Collaborative Care

In 2008, the Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement (ICSI) in Minnesota implemented a model of collaborative care management (CCM) for treatment of depression in primary care. This resulted in significant improvements on both clinical response and remission over usual care, although an increase in utilization metrics has been observed. Mental health comorbidities have previously been significantly associated with an increased likelihood of not responding to initial treatment. This retrospective study hypothesized that patients with mental health comorbidities are more likely to be associated with patients who were readmitted into CCM with recurrent depression. A total of 145 patients who had completed CCM were studied; of these, 32 were diagnosed with recurrent depression and were readmitted to CCM, and 113 were in remission for at least 4 months. There were no statistically significant demographic differences between the 2 groups. The initial screening GAD-7 score for anxiety was significantly increased in the readmission group (12.81 vs 9.20, P = .001) as was the average length of treatment from initial diagnosis to remission (168.09 vs 120.99 days, P = .002). All other initial screening tests were not different between the groups. When controlling for the independent variables by multiple logistic regression, the odds ratio for GAD-7 was 1.1156 (CI = 1.0.192 to 1.2212, P = .0177) and for days of treatment in CCM was 1.0123 (CI = 1.0041 to 1.0206, P = .0033). Patients who are readmitted to CCM for recurrent depression have a statistically increased risk of associated anxiety and a longer treatment course than those who have remained in remission for at least 4 months.

Physical limitations and self-rated overall health in family medicine patients

Objective: To assess how physical limitations relate to self-rated health among family medicine patients after adjustment for severity of illness. Design: A telephone survey of family medicine patients, linked with medical record information. Setting: A large family medicine department in Rochester, Minnesota, USA. Subjects: Self-ratings of health were linked to medical records for 804 adult patients. Results: Adjusting for severity and other confounders using multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that having physical limitations was inversely and independently related to good self-rated health (adjusted odds ratio = 0.20, P<0.001). Odds ratios also were lower for high severity of illness (adjusted odds = 0.43). Morbidly obese patients and patients older than 65 years of age also had reduced odds of good self-rated health. Conclusions: In our sample of family medicine patients, part of the disparity in health status experienced by people with physical limitations is attributable to greater severity of illness, age and obesity.

PHQ-9 Response Curve: Rate of Improvement for Depression Treatment With Collaborative Care Management.

Major depressive disorder is common in primary care. Depression Improvement Across Minnesota—Offering a New Direction (DIAMOND), using a collaborative care model, was first implemented in March 2008 starting with 5 clinics and expanding to more than 70 clinics statewide by 2010. This was intended to improve depression management and to augment the relationship between the patient, the primary care provider, and the psychiatrist. Prior retrospective studies have demonstrated the clinical effectiveness of our program. This study was designed to examine those patients who were in clinical remission (defined as a Patient Health Questionnaire–9 [PHQ-9] score <5) at 6 months (180 days) after enrollment in collaborative care management. By determining the subsequent PHQ-9 data that were obtained, a PHQ-9 response curve was developed for those patients who did improve. The pilot study demonstrated that there appeared to be rapid response to depression treatment, evident by the first month of treatment and more pronounced in severely depressed patients. Also, it demonstrated that in the patients who did respond, there was no any difference in the remission rates over the study period when evaluated by the initial severity of the depression.

Inter-relationship of the functional status question of the PHQ-9 and depression remission after six months of collaborative care management

In collaborative care management (CCM) for depression, a restoration of premorbid functional status is as important as symptom reduction. The goal of this study was to investigate if the baseline functional status of the patient (as determined by the tenth question of the PHQ-9) was an independent predictor of clinical outcomes six months after enrollment into CCM and the interdependence of clinical outcomes on functional improvement at six months. One thousand eighty three adult patients who were enrolled in CCM for the diagnosis of major depression or dysthymia and had a PHQ-9 score of 10 or greater were retrospectively reviewed. Using a multiple regression model for clinical remission six months after enrollment into CCM; age, race and gender were not significant predictors of remission, however, being married was (OR 1.323 CI 1.013-1.727, P = 0.040). Patients in the Extremely Difficult category had an odds ratio of remission of 0.610 (CI 0.392-0.945, P = 0.028) at six months compared to the Somewhat Difficult group. Also, the odds of a patient achieving normal functional status at six months was highly correlated to clinical remission (PHQ-9 <5) with an odds ratio of 218.530 (P < 0.001). Depressed patients with worsening functional status at enrollment into CCM are less likely to achieve remission after six months, independent of all other variables studied. Also, improvement of a patients functional status at six months was highly correlated with clinical remission.

Effects of Concurrent Low Back Conditions on Depression Outcomes

CONTEXT Depression and low back problems are common issues in primary care. OBJECTIVE To compare 6-month depression outcomes (specifically, clinical results and number of outpatient visits) in patients with or without comorbid low back conditions (LBCs). The authors hypothesized that the presence of an LBC within 3 months of the diagnosis of depression would negatively affect clinical outcomes of depression treatment after 6 months. DESIGN Retrospective record review. SETTING Collaborative care management program in a large primary care practice. PARTICIPANTS Patients with a diagnosis of depression enrolled in collaborative care management (N=1326), including 172 with and 1154 without evidence of an LBC within 3 months of enrollment. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Clinical depression outcomes (remission and persistent depressive symptoms) and number of outpatient visits at 6 months. RESULTS Regression modeling for clinical remission and persistent depressive symptoms at 6 months demonstrated that LBCs were not an independent factor affecting clinical remission (P=.24) but were associated with persistent depressive symptoms (odds ratio, 1.559; 95% confidence interval, 1.065-2.282; P=.02); LBCs remained an independent predictor of outlier status for outpatient visits (≥8 clinical visits after 6 months of enrollment), with an odds ratio of 1.581 (95% confidence interval, 1.086-2.30; P=.02). CONCLUSION Increased odds of persistent depressive symptoms and increased number of outpatient visits were found in patients with depression and concomitant LBCs 6 months after enrollment into collaborative care management, compared with those in patients with depression and without LBCs. The data suggest that temporally related LBCs could lead to worse outcomes in primary care patients being treated for depression, encouraging closer observation and possible therapeutic changes in this cohort.