Physicians' satisfaction with a collaborative disease management program for late-life depression in primary care

Area of Science:

• Geriatric Medicine
• Primary Care Medicine
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Physicians often face challenges in providing adequate care for patients with depression in primary care settings.
• Existing mental health resources may be insufficient to meet the needs of patients with late-life depression.
• Collaborative care models offer a potential solution to improve depression management in primary care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate physician satisfaction with depression care before and after implementing a primary care-based collaborative care program.
• To assess the perceived impact of the Project Improving Mood, Promoting Access to Collaborative Treatment (IMPACT) program on physician satisfaction and patient outcomes.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 450 primary care physicians across 18 clinics.
• Physician satisfaction surveys were administered before and 12 months after the implementation of the IMPACT collaborative care program.
• Surveys assessed satisfaction with mental health resources, ability to provide depression care, and experience with the collaborative care model.

Main Results:

• Initial physician satisfaction with depression treatment resources was 54%.
• Post-intervention, over 90% of physicians found the IMPACT program helpful for treating depression.
• 82% of physicians reported that the program improved patient clinical outcomes, with proactive follow-up and patient education being key helpful components.

Conclusions:

• Physicians recognized a significant need for enhanced depression treatment within primary care.
• The IMPACT collaborative care model demonstrated high physician satisfaction for treating late-life depression.
• The study suggests that similar care management models could benefit the treatment of other chronic medical conditions.