Mental health and health care utilization in geriatric primary care patients

This study examines the effect of mental health factors on health care utilization in a group of community dwelling elderly subjects followed in a primary care setting.

Data on utilization was obtained prospectively from computerized billing records for a one-year period following completion of a structured survey. Relationships between variables were characterized by Spearman's rank correlation. Multivariate linear regression modeling was employed to relate health care utilization, as measured by total cost, to the baseline variables.

No significant relationship was found between mental health measures and health care utilization as measured by total costs in this elderly population. However, total costs were found to be related to medical comorbidity and total daily medication use.

The present study did not find the relationship of psychiatric distress and increased use of health care services to apply to a group of community dwelling elderly. Future research will need to focus on larger data sets and improvement of models that attempt to examine the relationships between mental health and health care utilization in the elderly.