Bring It Up: An Adapted Collaborative Care Model for Depression in a Safety‐Net Primary Care Clinic

Abstract

Objective Over 90 clinical trials demonstrate the efficacy of the collaborative care model (CoCM) to treat depression in primary care but there is significant variability in real‐world CoCM implementation and scalability. This study aimed to determine the feasibility and effectiveness of an adapted CoCM in a safety‐net primary care setting. Methods Bring It Up! (BIU) is a pilot trial comparing an adapted CoCM (intervention group) to usual care (historical controls) for primary care safety‐net clinic patients with depression. Inclusion criteria: (1) age ≥18; (2) Patient Health Questionnaire‐9 (PHQ‐9) score ≥10; and (3) major depressive disorder diagnosis. Patients who completed ≥6 months of treatment upon rolling enrollment (April 1, 2018–October 31, 2019) were included. Historical controls completed ≥6 months of usual care in 2017. BIU included all aspects of CoCM except accountable care and leveraged existing staff rather than a dedicated care manager. The primary outcome was depression remission (PHQ‐9 <5) within 6 months. Secondary outcomes included depression response, adherence to treatment guidelines and care coordination process. Data were extracted from the electronic health record. Results Thirty‐six patients received the intervention; 41 controls received usual care. Depression remission was achieved in 33.3% of intervention patients and 0% of controls (p = 0.001). Of intervention patients, 44.4% achieved ≥50% reduction in PHQ‐9 compared to 4.9% of controls (p = 0.003). Further, 66.7% of intervention patients had guideline‐recommended antidepressant medication titration compared to 26.9% of controls (p = 0.003); 94.4% of intervention patients had PHQ‐9 repeated compared to 53.7% of controls (p < 0.001). Conclusions An adapted CoCM was feasible and improved depression care in a safety‐net clinic.