Describing the Health Status of Women Experiencing Violence or Abuse: An Observational Study Using Claims Data.

INTRODUCTION: Violence against women (VAW) can result in long-term and varied sequela for survivors, making it difficult to evaluate healthcare intervention. This study seeks to improve understanding of the healthcare experiences of women survivors prior to a violence-related diagnosis, allowing healthcare systems to better design strategies to meet the needs of this population. METHODS: Using population-based data from 2016 to 2019, this cross-sectional observational study presents healthcare spending, utilization, and diagnostic patterns of privately insured women, age 18 or older, in the 10-months prior to an episode of care for a documented experience of violence (DEV). RESULTS: Of 12 624 764 women meeting enrollment criteria, 10 980 women had DEV. This group had higher general medical complexity, despite being 10 years younger than the comparison group (mean age 32.7 vs 43.5). These relationships held up when comparing participants in each cohort by age. Additional key findings including higher numbers of medical visits across clinical settings and higher total cost ($10 138-$4585). CONCLUSIONS: The study utilized population-based data, to describe specific areas of health and medical cost for women with DEV. Increased medical complexity and utilization patterns among survivors broaden the understanding of the health profiles and healthcare touchpoints of survivors to inform and optimize strategies for medical system engagement and resource allocation for this public health crisis.

'Depression is not a familiar word': A mixed-methods approach to describe the experience of primary care nurses treating depression in rural Guatemala.

BACKGROUND: As the burden of mental health disorders continues to increase worldwide, there is significant need to describe the cultural variations in presentation, diagnosis and treatment of these diseases. An understanding of these variations can lead to the development of more effective programs to manage these conditions. In Guatemala, depression is the second-leading cause of disability and yet mental health treatment resources are scarce, particularly for indigenous individuals. AIMS: The primary research aim was to describe primary care nurses' explanatory models of depression in their clinical work in indigenous communities in Guatemala. A secondary research aim was to describe training and resources which would support and empower these nurses, in order to lessen risk for burnout. METHODS: A cross-sectional mixed methods survey was designed to elicit nurses' perspectives on the presentation, cause and treatment of depression in the communities they serve, as well as their clinical and emotional comfort in working with depressed individuals. Two subsequent focus groups gathered qualitative commentary which informed training and resource recommendations. Theoretical thematic analysis was used to generate codes and themes from focus group transcripts and survey responses. RESULTS: Guatemalan primary care nurses described symptoms of depression in their cultural context, identified socioeconomic factors which contribute to depression in their communities, and detailed treatment preferences. Limited referral options and concern for privacy made connecting patients to mental health care difficult. Nurses emphasized the need for community education on depression and for supplemental mental health resources which would increase their capacity to identify and treat depression. CONCLUSIONS: Primary care nurses in Guatemala identify and treat depression despite limited resources. Further investigations should focus on creating training modalities which include front-line nurses, given their critical role in the health system.

Online Reviews of Mental Health Treatment Facilities: Narrative Themes Associated With Positive and Negative Ratings.

OBJECTIVE: Previous studies indicate that patients' satisfaction with mental health care is correlated with both treatment outcomes and quality of life. The aims of this study were to describe online reviews of mental health treatment facilities, including key themes in review content, and to evaluate the correlation between narrative review themes, facility characteristics, and review ratings. METHODS: United States National Mental Health Services Survey (N-MHSS) facilities were linked to corresponding Yelp pages, created between March 2007 and September 2019. Correlations between review ratings and both machine learning-generated latent Dirichlet allocation topics and N-MHSS-reported facility characteristics were measured by using Spearman's rank-order correlation coefficient. Significance was defined by a Bonferroni-adjusted p<0.001. RESULTS: Of 10,191 unique mental health treatment facilities, 1,383 (13.6%) had relevant Yelp pages with 8,133 corresponding reviews. The number of newly reviewed facilities and the number of new reviews increased throughout the study period. Narrative topics positively correlated with review ratings included caring staff (Spearman's ρ=0.39) and nonpharmacologic treatment (ρ=0.16). Topics negatively correlated with review ratings included rude staff (ρ=-0.14) and safety and abuse (ρ=-0.14). Of 126 N-MHSS survey items, 11 were positively correlated with review rating, including "outpatient mental health facility" (ρ=0.13), and 33 were negatively correlated with review rating, including accepting Medicare (ρ=-0.21). CONCLUSIONS: Narrative topics provide information beyond what is currently collected through the N-MHSS. Topics associated with positive and negative reviews, such as staff attitude toward patients, can guide improvement in patients' satisfaction and engagement with mental health care.

Improving Payment for Collaborative Mental Health Care in Primary Care.

BACKGROUND: There is strong evidence supporting implementation of the Collaborative Care Model within primary care. Fee-for-service payment codes, published by Current Procedural Terminology in 2018, have made collaborative care separately reimbursable for the first time. These codes (ie, 99492-99494) reimburse for time spent per month by any member of the care team engaged in Collaborative Care, including behavioral care managers, primary care providers, and consulting psychiatrists. Time-based billing for these codes presents challenges for providers delivering Collaborative Care services. OBJECTIVES: Based on experience from multiple health care organizations, we reflect on these challenges and provide suggestions for implementation and future refinement of the codes. CONCLUSIONS: Further refinements to the codes are encouraged, including moving from a calendar month to a 30-day reimbursement cycle. In addition, we recommend payers adopt the new code proposed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to account for smaller increments of time.