Mood Emot.  2023 Nov;21(3):95-103. 10.35986/me.2023.21.3.95.

Quality of Early Depression Management and Long-Term Medical Use: Aspect of Quality Indicators for Outpatients with Depression

• Lim HH
• Lee JK
• Park S
• Chang JG
• Oh J
• Park J
• Song J

• KMID: 2552401
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.35986/me.2023.21.3.95

Abstract

Background
Depression is a global mental health concern that negatively affects individuals’ health and increases medical costs. This study aimed to assess whether early depression management is cost-beneficial and effective from the perspective of quality indicators.
Methods
Data of patients newly diagnosed with depressive disorder between 2012 and 2014 as well as follow-up data until 2020 were extracted from the National Health Insurance Service database. Hospitalization, emergency room visits, and annual medical expenses were set as dependent variables to estimate the effect of depression and information on medical expenditures. Six quality indicators developed by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service comprised independent variables.
Results
In total, 465,766 patients were included in this study. Patients who met the quality indicators were more likely to be hospitalized with a psychiatric diagnosis. Furthermore, patients who met the quality indicator of revisiting within 3 weeks of their first visit had greater psychiatric and overall expenses during the early treatment phase; however, the overall expenses gradually decreased over time.
Conclusion
High-quality initial treatment for depression can be cost-effective in the long term; however, further studies are needed to discern its immediate clinical effects.

Keyword

Depression; Quality indicators; health care; Cost benefit analysis; Mental health