Evidence that patient-centered medical homes are effective in reducing emergency department admissions for patients with depression

HIV Testing Among Muslim Women in the United States: Results of a National Sample Study

Purpose: More than one million Americans are living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and less than half of Americans have ever accepted an HIV test. There are no national HIV testing estimates for Muslim Americans, an underserved and often stigmatized population. Considering the lack of HIV testing estimates for this population, we conducted an exploratory study on HIV testing and potential associates in American Muslim women from across the United States. Methods: We applied logistic regression models to examine the Muslim Women's Health Project data, collected in 2015 (N=218). Results: Health care engagement and intimate partner violence were significantly associated with having been tested for HIV. Respondents using contraceptives received an influenza vaccination, and received an abnormal pap test had more than two times higher odds of having been tested for HIV (odds ratio [OR]=2.56, OR=2.43, OR=2.93, respectively; p<0.05 all). Having been sexually abused was associated with more than two times higher odds of having been tested for HIV (OR=2.49; p<0.05). Conclusion: Respondents reported higher rates of HIV testing as compared with the general public, signaling HIV knowledge, engagement in preventative health care, and possibly HIV risk. Scholars and practitioners should not assume that Muslim patients are at low risk for HIV and do not engage in HIV-risk behaviors. Thus, assumptions about Muslims women's willingness to accept HIV testing should be further examined to elucidate HIV risk among this population.

The Role of the Patient-Centered Medical Home in Treating Depression

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This review discusses the role of the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) in treating depression, focusing on findings from primary care-based studies and their implications for the PCMH.

RECENT FINDINGS

Pharmacotherapy, psychotherapy, and collaborative care are evidence-based treatments for depression that can be delivered in primary care and extended to diverse populations. Recent research aligns with the core components of the PCMH model. The core components of the PCMH are critical elements of depression treatment. Comprehensive care within the PCMH addresses medical and behavioral health concerns, including depression. Psychiatric and psychological care must be flexibly delivered so services remain accessible yet patient-centered. To ensure the quality and safety of treatment, depression symptoms must be consistently monitored. Coordination within and occasionally outside of the PCMH is needed to ensure patients receive the appropriate level of care. More research is needed to empirically evaluate depression treatment within the PCMH.

Perceived Stigma in Health Care Settings and the Physical and Mental Health of People of Color in the United States

Purpose: Addressing perceived and enacted stigma in clinical settings is critical to ensuring delivery of high-quality patient-centered care, reducing health disparities, and improving population health outcomes.

Methods: Data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System's (2012–2014) Reaction to Race module were analyzed to test the hypothesis that perceived stigma in health care settings would be associated with poorer physical and mental health. Poor health was measured by (1) the number of days the respondent was physically or mentally ill over the past month and (2) depressive disorder diagnosis. Multivariate linear and logistic regression models were employed.

Results: Effects of stigma on physical and mental health were significant. Perceived stigma was associated with additional 2.79 poor physical health days (β=2.79, confidence interval [CI]=1.84–3.75) and 2.92 more days of poor mental health (β=2.92, CI=1.97–3.86). Moreover, perceived stigma in health care settings was associated with 61% higher odds of reporting a depressive disorder (adjusted odds ratio=1.61, CI=1.29–2.00). Among other findings, individuals who were married, younger, had higher income, had college degrees, and were employed reported significantly fewer poor physical and mental health days and had lower odds of self-reported depressive disorder.

Conclusions: Reducing stigma against people of color in health care settings (environments that should be pro-patient) must be a top priority for population health scholars and clinicians. Reducing perceived stigma in clinical settings may produce better mental and physical health outcomes in minority patients thereby reducing health disparities. In addition, fewer days lost to poor health could positively influence the health care system by decreasing utilization and may improve economic productivity through increasing days of good health.