Benjamin Druss, Kimberly Rask, and Wayne Katon, all medical professionals, have conducted a study that looks into the relationship between major depression as an established diagnosis, the available and prescribed treatment for diagnosed major depression, and the process of receiving treatment on the part of patients who were diagnosed with major depression. Overall, it focused on all the major stages or processes of treating major depression and assessing or evaluating how the quality and dynamics of diagnosis and treatment affects their general results and outcomes on the health and well being of respective patients.
The authors acknowledged that the quality of primary health care is undeniably the most important factor that determines the efficiency and reliability of diagnosis and treatment in handling major depression as a serious illness. Aside from the obvious reasons that the quality of health care services are major determinants of how well the diagnosis and treatment of various diseases or illnesses are handled, primary health care also constitutes the most important processes in doing so.
According to Druss, Rask and Katon, primary health care constitutes the administration and availability of treatment to patients, the allowable or available coverage of the treatment, the coordination and organization of the health care system in administering treatment and handling the primary health care system in terms of planning, implementation, supervision, evaluation, etc. , and the permanence of the availability of health care services to patients over a period of time as long as the patient needs treatment and medical attention.
Druss, Rask, and Katon, in order to further their research, utilized a diagnostic interview in short form in order to assess and evaluate how the patients diagnosed with major depression were influenced by the four dimensions or aspects of primary health care. The evaluation of various situations of almost thirty thousand adults who underwent the Composite International Diagnostic Interview –Short Form was prolonged for one year. The primary data utilized for the study was obtained from the National Health Interview Survey or NHIS conducted in 1999.
However, the researchers detected deficiencies on the information provided by NHIS leading them to further the research study in order to supplement the procured information. Through the methodology utilized by the authors of the article, they were able to determine whether the four dimensions of primary health care aforementioned – that is access, comprehensiveness, coordination, and continuity – reached the standards of quality primary health care. The results of the study have revealed that individuals with major depression had problems or issues concerning one or more of the four primary health care dimensions or aspects.
For instance, the study revealed that individuals who suffer from major depression and who never received medical treatment before had problems accessing primary health care services or receiving comprehensive services that are fitting to their health care needs and demands; but the patients acknowledged that they never had problems with the coordination or organization of the health care system in addressing them, as well as the continuity of the health care services granted to them.
On the other hand, patients who received treatment beforehand for major depression have revealed that they were satisfied with the four dimensions or aspects of primary health care stating that their complaints and sentiments were minimal. Overall, the results of the research study proved that problems or concerns regarding the four basic dimensions or aspects of primary health care depends on whether individuals who participated in the survey has already received treatment previously.
The varying experiences between the individuals who participated in the survey determined how efficient primary health care is in addressing problems of major depression. The implications of the research study identify how weak or inefficient primary health care is granting comprehensive access to the people who might need treatment for depression, and that it is only productive for individuals who were lucky enough to obtain access to health care services.
The limitations on the access and comprehensiveness of primary health care services suggests that as more and more people suffer from depression, there is little chance for them to become better as treatment from primary health care facilities are only limited to a few.