Journal
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY-REVUE CANADIENNE DE PSYCHIATRIE
Volume 59, Issue 4, Pages 220-227Publisher
SAGE PUBLICATIONS INC
DOI: 10.1177/070674371405900407
Keywords
group medical visits; health care efficiencies; mood disorders; email in medicine; alternative health care models
Categories
Funding
- joint committee of the BC Ministry of Health
- British Columbia Medical Association
- Share Care Committee
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Objective: To describe an alternative model of psychiatric outpatient care for patients with mood and anxiety disorders (the Mood Disorders Association of British Columbia Psychiatric Urgent Care Program or the MDA Program) using group medical visits (GMV) and (or) email communications in lieu of individual follow-up appointments. Method: Annual costs of the MDA Program were compared with average costs of private psychiatrists offering outpatient care and patients being treated in a mental health centre. In addition, questionnaires as to patient satisfaction with the MDA Program intake, GMV experience, and family physician satisfaction with the MDA Program were administered. Results: The MDA Program model of care is significantly more cost effective than individual psychiatric outpatient care or health authority mental health centre care for patients with moderate or severe illness. Patients and family physicians were very satisfied with the model of care and GMVs offered. Conclusions: The MDA Program model of care appears to be efficient and cost-effective, and patients and referring physicians appear satisfied with the care offered in this program.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available