Key result
Depression in primary care patients was associated with significantly higher total health care costs compared to matched controls, with an adjusted excess cost of €1403 (95% CI 1350-1456).
Why the study?
Are health care costs higher in primary care patients with depression compared to matched controls?
Observational
Yes
Are health care costs higher in primary care patients with depression compared to matched controls?
Effect estimate: Mean difference €2202 (95% CI 2146-2257)
Absolute Event Rate: 2859% vs 658%
Depression in primary care is associated with significantly higher health care costs, even after adjusting for co-morbidities, highlighting the economic burden of the disease.
Depression associated with higher primary care costs; extends observational data but leaves open whether interventions reduce expenditures.
BACKGROUND: Depression is highly prevalent in Western countries and is associated with increased health care costs. Most depressed patients are treated in primary care. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the resource use and costs of depressed patients treated in primary care in comparison with matched controls. METHODS: Data from an electronic medical record system of 20 general practices in The Netherlands for the years 2002-04 were used. A patient was considered depressed when having a diagnosis of depression and either a prescription for antidepressants or a referral to mental health care. Matching was based on age, sex and GP. Multilevel analyses combined with bootstrapping were performed to compare costs between depressed and matched control patients while correcting for clustering at the level of the GP and adjusting for confounding by age, sex and co-morbidity. RESULTS: The prevalence of recognized and subsequently treated depression was 3.1% [95% confidence interval (CI) 3.0 to 3.2]. Total health care costs per patient in 2002-04 were on average €2859 (SD 2297) in depressed patients and €658 (SD 1070) in control patients (mean difference €2202, 95% CI 2146 to 2257). After adjustment for co-morbidity, depressed patients had excess costs of €1403 (95% CI 1350 to 1456). CONCLUSION: Our results show that health care costs of depressed patients are much higher compared with matched controls even after adjusting for co-morbidity. This was not only true for mental but also for general medical care utilization. These results emphasize the need to develop cost-effective interventions to treat depression in primary care.
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Bosmans et al. (2010) conducted an observational in Depression. Depression vs. Matched controls was evaluated on Total health care costs per patient (Mean difference €2202, 95% CI 2146-2257). Depression in primary care patients was associated with significantly higher total health care costs compared to matched controls, with an adjusted excess cost of €1403 (95% CI 1350-1456).
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