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Published on: April 26, 2024
Healthcare use among older primary care patients with minor depression
Yolonda R Pickett1, Samiran Ghosh2, Anne Rohs3
1Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College, White Plains, NY; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY.
Objective:
To determine the rate of healthcare utilization for older primary care patients by depression status.
Design:
Cross-sectional data analysis.
Setting:
Primary care practices, western New York state.
Participants:
753 patients aged 65 years and older.
Measures:
Diagnostic depression categories were determined using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID). The Cornell Services Index (CSI) measured outpatient medical visits. Demographic, clinical, and functional variables were obtained from medical records and interview data.
Results:
41.23% had subsyndromal or minor depression (M/SSD) and 53.15% had no depression. The unadjusted mean number of outpatient medical visits was greater in those with M/SSD (3.96 visits within 3 months) compared to those without depression (2.84), with a significant difference after adjusting for demographic, functional, and clinical factors.
Conclusion:
Those with M/SSD had higher rates of healthcare utilization compared with those without depressive symptoms. Future research should examine whether interventions for older adults with M/SSD reduce healthcare utilization.
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