title: Healthcare use among older primary care patients with minor depression.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the rate of healthcare utilization for older primary care patients by depression status.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional data analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Primary care practices, western New York state.
  
  
  METHODS
  753 patients aged 65 years and older.
  
  
  METHODS
  Diagnostic depression categories were determined using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID). The Cornell Services Index (CSI) measured outpatient medical visits. Demographic, clinical, and functional variables were obtained from medical records and interview data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  41.23% had subsyndromal or minor depression (M/SSD) and 53.15% had no depression. The unadjusted mean number of outpatient medical visits was greater in those with M/SSD (3.96 visits within 3 months) compared to those without depression (2.84), with a significant difference after adjusting for demographic, functional, and clinical factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Those with M/SSD had higher rates of healthcare utilization compared with those without depressive symptoms. Future research should examine whether interventions for older adults with M/SSD reduce healthcare utilization.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College, White Plains, NY; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY. Electronic address: yop2003@med.cornell.edu.
authors.forename: Yolonda R
authors.initials: YR
authors.lastname: Pickett
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine & Public Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI.
authors.forename: Samiran
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ghosh
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rohs
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY.
authors.forename: Gary J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Kennedy
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College, White Plains, NY.
authors.forename: Martha L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Bruce
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY.
authors.forename: Jeffrey M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Lyness
mesh_terms: D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009518:New York / Q000453:epidemiology; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology*; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: Geriatric; healthcare utilization; minor depression