[Telephone case management: is it beneficial for the care of depression patients in Germany? A systematic literature survey].
BACKGROUND
Strategies are needed to effectively improve the management of depression in Germany. Can telephone case management (TCM) be a promising strategy to improve depression care in the German health-care system?


METHODS
A systematic literature review in PubMed, Cochrane Library, ISI Web of Science, PsycINFO and PSYNEXplus for randomised controlled trials (RCT) that evaluate TCM was carried out.


RESULTS
Ten RCTs that compared TCM to treatment as usual were found. TCM was more effective in reducing depressive symptoms and in increasing satisfaction with care than treatment as usual. Whether TCM was capable of significantly improving pharmacotherapy compliance remained controversial.


CONCLUSIONS
The effectiveness of TCM seemed to be related to the health-care system structure in which it was implemented. Most studies on TCM were conducted in US-American Health Maintenance Organizations. Thus, it is unclear to what extent these results can be transferred to the German health system. However, in the light of the promising results of these studies it seems to be worthwhile to test TCM also under conditions of the German health-care system.
Lehmann
S
S
Forschungsnetz psychische Gesundheit, Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychiatrie, Universität Leipzig. S.Lehmann@medizin.uni-leipzig.de
Domdey
A
A
Bramesfeld
A
A
D019090:Case Management / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013689:Telephone / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*