TY - JOUR KW - Adolescent KW - Adult KW - Aged KW - Aged, 80 and over KW - Allied Health Personnel KW - Antidepressive Agents/therapeutic use KW - Case Management/standards KW - Depressive Disorder/drug therapy/therapy KW - Family Practice/organization & administration/standards KW - Female KW - Germany KW - Humans KW - Interviews as Topic KW - Male KW - Medication Adherence KW - Middle Aged KW - Outcome and Process Assessment (Health Care) KW - Prospective Studies KW - Quality Assurance, Health Care KW - Questionnaires KW - Telephone KW - Young Adult AU - J. Gensichen AU - M. Von Korff AU - M. Peitz AU - C. Muth AU - M. Beyer AU - C. Guthlin AU - M. Torge AU - J. J. Petersen AU - T. Rosemann AU - J. Konig AU - F. M. Gerlach AU - PRoMPT A1 - AB - BACKGROUND: Case management by health care assistants in small primary care practices provides unclear benefit for improving depression symptoms. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether case management provided by health care assistants in small primary care practices is more effective than usual care in improving depression symptoms and process of care for patients with major depression. DESIGN: Cluster randomized, controlled trial. A central automated system generated the randomization scheme, which was stratified by urban and rural practices; allocation sequence was concealed until groups were assigned. SETTING: 74 small primary care practices in Germany from April 2005 to September 2007. PATIENTS: 626 patients age 18 to 80 years with major depression. INTERVENTION: Structured telephone interview to monitor depression symptoms and support for adherence to medication, with feedback to the family physician. MEASUREMENTS: Depression symptoms at 12 months, as measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9); secondary outcomes were patient assessment of chronic illness care, adherence to medication, and quality of life. RESULTS: A total of 310 patients were randomly assigned to case management and 316 to usual care. At 12 months, 249 intervention recipients and 278 control patients were assessed; 555 patients were included in a modified intention-to-treat-analysis (267 intervention recipients vs. 288 control patients). Compared with control patients, intervention recipients had lower mean PHQ-9 values in depression symptoms (-1.41 [95% CI, -2.49 to -0.33]; P = 0.014), more favorable assessments of care (3.41 vs. 3.11; P = 0.011), and increased treatment adherence (2.70 vs. 2.53; P = 0.042). Quality-of-life scores did not differ between groups. LIMITATION: Patients, health care assistants, family physicians, and researchers were not blinded to group assignment, and 12-month follow-up of patients was incomplete. CONCLUSION: Case management provided by primary care practice-based health care assistants may reduce depression symptoms and improve process of care for patients with major depression more than usual care. PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE: German Ministry of Education and Research. BT - Annals of Internal Medicine C5 - HIT & Telehealth CP - 6 CY - United States IS - 6 JF - Annals of Internal Medicine N2 - BACKGROUND: Case management by health care assistants in small primary care practices provides unclear benefit for improving depression symptoms. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether case management provided by health care assistants in small primary care practices is more effective than usual care in improving depression symptoms and process of care for patients with major depression. DESIGN: Cluster randomized, controlled trial. A central automated system generated the randomization scheme, which was stratified by urban and rural practices; allocation sequence was concealed until groups were assigned. SETTING: 74 small primary care practices in Germany from April 2005 to September 2007. PATIENTS: 626 patients age 18 to 80 years with major depression. INTERVENTION: Structured telephone interview to monitor depression symptoms and support for adherence to medication, with feedback to the family physician. MEASUREMENTS: Depression symptoms at 12 months, as measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9); secondary outcomes were patient assessment of chronic illness care, adherence to medication, and quality of life. RESULTS: A total of 310 patients were randomly assigned to case management and 316 to usual care. At 12 months, 249 intervention recipients and 278 control patients were assessed; 555 patients were included in a modified intention-to-treat-analysis (267 intervention recipients vs. 288 control patients). Compared with control patients, intervention recipients had lower mean PHQ-9 values in depression symptoms (-1.41 [95% CI, -2.49 to -0.33]; P = 0.014), more favorable assessments of care (3.41 vs. 3.11; P = 0.011), and increased treatment adherence (2.70 vs. 2.53; P = 0.042). Quality-of-life scores did not differ between groups. LIMITATION: Patients, health care assistants, family physicians, and researchers were not blinded to group assignment, and 12-month follow-up of patients was incomplete. CONCLUSION: Case management provided by primary care practice-based health care assistants may reduce depression symptoms and improve process of care for patients with major depression more than usual care. PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE: German Ministry of Education and Research. PP - United States PY - 2009 SN - 1539-3704; 0003-4819 SP - 369 EP - 378 EP - T1 - Case management for depression by health care assistants in small primary care practices: a cluster randomized trial T2 - Annals of Internal Medicine TI - Case management for depression by health care assistants in small primary care practices: a cluster randomized trial U1 - HIT & Telehealth U2 - 19755362 VL - 151 VO - 1539-3704; 0003-4819 Y1 - 2009 ER -