Telephone-delivered collaborative care for treating post-CABG depression: a randomized controlled trial.

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Psychiatry
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Depression is a common complication following coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, negatively impacting clinical outcomes.
• Identifying effective interventions for post-CABG depression is crucial for improving patient recovery and well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of a telephone-delivered collaborative care model for treating depression in patients post-CABG.
• To compare the outcomes of collaborative care against usual physician care for this patient population.

Main Methods:

• A single-blind effectiveness trial involving 302 post-CABG patients with depression across 7 hospitals.
• Intervention group received 8 months of telephone-delivered collaborative care managed by nurses, supervised by physicians.
• Outcomes measured included mental and physical health-related quality of life (HRQL), mood symptoms, and functional status.

Main Results:

• Collaborative care patients showed significant improvements in mental HRQL, physical functioning, and mood symptoms (Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression).
• A greater proportion of intervention patients experienced a 50% or greater reduction in depression symptoms.
• Men with depression particularly benefited from the intervention, showing substantial gains in mental HRQL.

Conclusions:

• Telephone-delivered collaborative care is an effective strategy for managing post-CABG depression.
• This intervention leads to enhanced HRQL, improved physical functioning, and reduced mood symptoms at 8-month follow-up.
• The findings support the integration of collaborative care models into routine post-surgical care pathways.