Depression frequently causes unemployment , absenteeism , and presenteeism , which results in significantly reduced productivity .
Improving patients ' compliance with their antidepressant medication results in improved outcomes and prolongs remission from depression , increasing work productivity , and thus reducing overall costs .
The implementation of remote enhanced-care programs may improve compliance and reduce overall costs .
In conclusion , depression is a common disorder with a high economic impact .
Enhanced-care programs may lower costs associated with depression and improve patients ' lives
This systematic review examines the economic and human costs of depression and the potential savings associated with improvement in patient adherence to treatment with antidepressants through the use of enhanced-care programs .
Cost-effectiveness of practice-initiated quality improvement for depression: results of a randomized controlled trial.
CONTEXT Depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide , but treatment rates in primary care are low . OBJECTIVE To determine the cost-effectiveness from a societal perspective of 2 quality improvement ( QI ) interventions to improve treatment of depression in primary care and their effects on patient employment . DESIGN Group-level r and omized controlled trial conducted June 1996 to July 1999 . SETTING Forty-six primary care clinics in 6 community-based managed care organizations . PARTICIPANTS One hundred eighty-one primary care clinicians and 1356 patients with positive screening results for current depression . INTERVENTIONS Matched practice s were r and omly assigned to provide usual care ( n = 443 patients ) or to 1 of 2 QI interventions offering training to practice leaders and nurses , enhanced educational and assessment re sources , and either nurses for medication follow-up ( QI-meds ; n = 424 patients ) or trained local psychotherapists ( QI-therapy ; n = 489 ) . Practice s could flexibly implement the interventions , which did not assign type of treatment . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Total health care costs , costs per quality -adjusted life-year ( QALY ) , days with depression burden , and employment over 24 months , compared between usual care and the 2 interventions . RESULTS Relative to usual care , average health care costs increased $ 419 ( 11 % ) in QI-meds ( P = .35 ) and $ 485 ( 13 % ) in QI-therapy ( P = .28 ) ; estimated costs per QALY gained were between $ 15 331 and $ 36 467 for QI-meds and $ 9478 and $ 21 478 for QI-therapy ; and patients had 25 ( P = .19 ) and 47 ( P = .01 ) fewer days with depression burden and were employed 17.9 ( P = .07 ) and 20.9 ( P = .03 ) more days during the study period . CONCLUSIONS Societal cost-effectiveness of practice -initiated QI efforts for depression is comparable with that of accepted medical interventions . The intervention effects on employment may be of particular interest to employers and other stakeholders
Depression frequently causes unemployment , absenteeism , and presenteeism , which results in significantly reduced productivity .
Improving patients ' compliance with their antidepressant medication results in improved outcomes and prolongs remission from depression , increasing work productivity , and thus reducing overall costs .
The implementation of remote enhanced-care programs may improve compliance and reduce overall costs .
In conclusion , depression is a common disorder with a high economic impact .
Enhanced-care programs may lower costs associated with depression and improve patients ' lives
This systematic review examines the economic and human costs of depression and the potential savings associated with improvement in patient adherence to treatment with antidepressants through the use of enhanced-care programs .