Key result
Depression was associated with significantly higher resource utilization, including more primary care visits (5.3 vs. 2.9, p<0.001) and higher total charges ($2,808 vs. $1,891, p<0.001).
Why the study?
Does a diagnosis of depression increase health care resource utilization in general medical practice patients?
Population
15,186 patients in a general internal medicine practice in an urban academic medical center
Comparison
Provider-coded diagnosis of depression vs Patients without a diagnosis of depression
Design
Cohort
Follow-up
one-year period
Authors
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May warrant depression screening in primary care; leaves open whether treatment reduces utilization in trials.
Cohort (n=15,186)
No
Does a diagnosis of depression increase health care resource utilization in general medical practice patients?
Absolute Event Rate: 5.3% vs 2.9%
p-value: p=< .001
Patients diagnosed with depression have significantly higher health care resource utilization and costs, independent of age and medical comorbidities.
Luber et al. (2000) conducted a cohort in Depression (n=15,186). Depression vs. No depression was evaluated on Primary care visits (p=< .001). Depression was associated with significantly higher resource utilization, including more primary care visits (5.3 vs. 2.9, p<0.001) and higher total charges ($2,808 vs. $1,891, p<0.001).
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