The OPEN MINDS Circle: Improving Depression Treatment in Primary Care Settings Using a Telephonic Disease Management Approach
Posted 05/11/2009
Consumers referred for depression treatment by their primary care physicians are seeing significant outcome improvements using the ProCare Depression Care Management (DCM) program, a telephone-based disease management program of ConnectCare.
The ProCare telephonic model provides screening, education and support, coaching tools to manage and prevent progression of the disease, and individualized treatment planning for consumers suffering from depression.
The program, which is used extensively in primary care settings, is based on the QuEST model which was developed by Kathryn Rost, Ph.D., the Elizabeth Freed Chair and Professor in the Department of Medical Humanities and Social Sciences at Florida State University College of Medicine in
The ProCare DCM program was highlighted in a presentation “Behavioral Health Opportunities in Chronic Disease Management” by
The ProCare DCM program relies on care managers who assess consumers referred by a primary care physician (PCP) for depression, using a bio-psycho-social intake tool to determine patient acuity. If the consumer is suffering from depression, the care manager informs the PCP of the client's participation in DCM.
When participating in the program, the consumer participates in an array of disease management activities, including tracking and use of prescribed medications; education on depression; and motivational interviewing to support positive decision-making and self-management skills. The ProCare program coordinates communication with the consumer's PCP and any other clinical professionals (therapists, specialists, etc.) regarding the status of the consumer's depression.
An integral part of the ProCare DCM program is measurement of consumer outcomes and program effectiveness. One outcome measure is consumer productivity on the job. ProCare's program was linked to productivity improvements of 13.7%.
These productivity improvements include reduced absenteeism, late arrivals or early departures, and increased work output. On average, before receiving treatment, the depressed employees missed about four days of work out of 20. Six months after receiving treatment through ProCare, employees only missed about one day of work out of 20.
To learn more about the ProCare Depression Care Management program or ProCare, a non-profit subsidiary of ConnectCare, a care management company that is part of the Pikes Peak Behavioral Health Group in Colorado Springs, Colorado, OPEN MINDS Circle members can access Mr. Allen's presentation, "Behavioral Health Opportunities in Chronic Disease Management," free for the next thirty days.
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