Alicia Lukachko1, Mark Olfson. 1. Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA. aml170@columbia.edu
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The objective was to determine whether the effects of new patient status on primary care depression diagnoses differ by patient race. METHOD: Primary care visits (n=168,482) from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey were analyzed. Logistic regression was used to evaluate main effects of new patient status on depression diagnoses and interactions with race. RESULTS: Among Whites, approximately 2% of new visits and 3% of return visits resulted in depression diagnoses, whereas among African Americans, these corresponding proportions were 0.5% and 2%, respectively. The lower likelihood of receiving a depression diagnosis during new versus return primary care visits was significantly greater among African Americans than Whites (P=.04). CONCLUSION: For African American primary care patients, first visits may be a high-risk period for missed diagnoses of depression.
OBJECTIVE: The objective was to determine whether the effects of new patient status on primary care depression diagnoses differ by patient race. METHOD: Primary care visits (n=168,482) from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey were analyzed. Logistic regression was used to evaluate main effects of new patient status on depression diagnoses and interactions with race. RESULTS: Among Whites, approximately 2% of new visits and 3% of return visits resulted in depression diagnoses, whereas among African Americans, these corresponding proportions were 0.5% and 2%, respectively. The lower likelihood of receiving a depression diagnosis during new versus return primary care visits was significantly greater among African Americans than Whites (P=.04). CONCLUSION: For African American primary care patients, first visits may be a high-risk period for missed diagnoses of depression.
Authors: Audrey L Jones; Susan D Cochran; Arleen Leibowitz; Kenneth B Wells; Gerald Kominski; Vickie M Mays Journal: Healthcare (Basel) Date: 2018-03-22