title: [Cost structure of a telephone-based case management in primary care depression therapy].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Case management by health care assistants in small primary care practices has proven effective in improving depression symptoms in depressive patients. Resource consumption and costs of this intervention have not been evaluated yet.
  
  
  METHODS
  Health care assistants and general practitioners of 15 participating practices were interviewed for intervention-related time expenditures. Intervention costs were based on individual labour costs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The annual time spent was 6.3 h per patient for health care assistants and 3.6 h for general practitioners (mean 8.9 patients per practice). The case management caused costs of € 277 per patient and year.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A telephone-based case management as add-on therapy improves quality of primary care depression therapy while causing only moderate costs for health care providers.
authors.affiliation: Die Institutsangaben sind am Ende des Beitrags gelistet.
authors.forename: Steffen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baron
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Heider
authors.forename: Jochen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gensichen
authors.forename: Juliana J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Petersen
authors.forename: Ferdinand M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Gerlach
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Krauth
authors.forename: Okyta
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: A'Walelu
authors.forename: Hans-Helmut
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: König
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019090:Case Management / Q000191:economics*; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000191:economics* / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training / Q000191:economics; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000191:economics*; D013689:Telephone