Testing for statistical discrimination by race/ethnicity in panel data for depression treatment in primary care.
OBJECTIVE
To test for discrimination by race/ethnicity arising from clinical uncertainty in treatment for depression, also known as "statistical discrimination."


METHODS
We used survey data from 1,321 African-American, Hispanic, and white adults identified with depression in primary care. Surveys were administered every six months for two years in the Quality Improvement for Depression (QID) studies.


METHODS
To examine whether and how change in depression severity affects change in treatment intensity by race/ethnicity, we used multivariate cross-sectional and change models that difference out unobserved time-invariant patient characteristics potentially correlated with race/ethnicity.


METHODS
Treatment intensity was operationalized as expenditures on drugs, primary care, and specialty services, weighted by national prices from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. Patient race/ethnicity was collected at baseline by self-report.


RESULTS
Change in depression severity is less associated with change in treatment intensity in minority patients than in whites, consistent with the hypothesis of statistical discrimination. The differential effect by racial/ethnic group was accounted for by use of mental health specialists.


CONCLUSIONS
Enhanced physician-patient communication and use of standardized depression instruments may reduce statistical discrimination arising from clinical uncertainty and be useful in reducing racial/ethnic inequities in depression treatment.
McGuire
Thomas G
TG
Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School, 180 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Ayanian
John Z
JZ
Ford
Daniel E
DE
Henke
Rachel E M
RE
Rost
Kathryn M
KM
Zaslavsky
Alan M
AM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D000368:Aged; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D005102:Health Expenditures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006304:Health Status; D054625:Healthcare Disparities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States; D044465:White People
D000928:Antidepressive Agents