Primary Care Physicians’ Attitudes Regarding Collaborating With Home-Based Depression Care Managers

Abstract

Home-based case managers face many challenges to collaborating with primary care physicians, including for management of depression. To obtain physicians’ perspectives regarding optimal collaboration strategies, we conducted a mail survey of randomly selected primary care physicians ( N = 74). The survey described a home-based depression care management program to be delivered by case managers and assessed physicians’ preferred collaboration strategies. Most respondents perceived the services described as useful, including having the case manager send a list of medications and send psychotropic medication recommendations per consulting psychiatrist. Most physicians reported being likely to read a written summary sent by the case manager, reply, and send it back to the case manager. Preferred communication procedures varied widely. By considering physicians’ preferences, case managers may enhance collaboration.