INTRODUCTION: Common mental disorders (CMD) and cardiovascular diseases (CVD), common health problems among patients seeking primary healthcare, contribute to high economic productivity losses. Collaborative care programs for CMDs and CVDs have shown improvement in clinical outcomes for both conditions; however, data on productivity outcomes are scarce. Objective: Effect of integrated collaborative care on productivity among people with comorbid CMD and CVD in rural Karnataka primary health clinics. METHODS: Participants were recruited within a randomized trial in rural South India, where patients received either collaborative or enhanced standard care. In this substudy, 303 participants were followed for 3 months and assessed with the iMTA Productivity Cost Questionnaire (iPCQ). RESULTS: We found a reduction in the proportion of individuals reporting productivity loss at 3 months (66%) compared to baseline (76%; P = 0.002). Productivity losses decreased from INR 30.3 per person per day at baseline to 17.7 at 3 months. Reductions were similar in the two treatment conditions. CONCLUSION: Medical intervention may foster reduced productivity losses among patients with CMD and CVD. Collaborative care did not translate into higher reductions in productivity losses than enhanced standard care.

Background

Deficits in knowledge regarding identification and treatment of common mental disorders (CMD) and stigmatizing attitudes towards CMDs exist among primary care physicians in India.

Objectives

We aimed to assess the gain in knowledge of CMDs among primary health centre (PHC) doctors, after they underwent training in the identification and treatment of CMDs, and to assess the relationship between the gain in knowledge and demographic variables. We also assessed attitudes towards depression among PHC doctors who underwent training.

Methods

We assessed knowledge of CMDs among 38 PHC doctors before and after training using a multiple-choice questionnaire (MCQ). The training session included didactic teaching and case-based discussions.

Results

The post-test mean score was significantly higher compared to the pre-test mean score (P < 0.0001), indicative of a significant mean gain in knowledge of CMDs among PHC doctors following training. Significant improvements were noted on the questions assessing identification of CMDs, knowledge of depressive symptoms and identification of panic attacks, post-training (all P < 0.05). Participants with lower pre-test scores had greater improvements in knowledge post-training. Around half of the PHC doctors endorsed negative attitudes towards depression.

Conclusions

We demonstrated the efficacy of a training programme for PHC doctors in improving their knowledge of CMDs. Stigmatizing attitudes towards depression were present among around half the PHC doctors even after the training. This has implications for the strategy of integrating mental healthcare into primary care, with the overall goal of reducing the treatment gap for CMDs.

The aim of this study is to increase hand sanitizer usage among healthcare workers by developing and implementing a low-cost intervention using RFID and wireless mesh networks to provide real-time alarms for increasing hand hygiene compliance during opportune moments in an open layout Intensive Care Unit (ICU). A wireless, RFID based system was developed and implemented in the ICU. The ICU beds were divded into an intervention arm (n = 10) and a control arm (n = 14). Passive RFID tags were issued to the doctors, nurses and support staff of the ICU. Long range RFID readers were positioned strategically. Sensors were placed beneath the hand sanitizers to record sanitizer usage. The system would alert the HCWs by flashing a light if an opportune moment for hand sanitization was detected. A significant increase in hand sanitizer use was noted in the intervention arm. Usage was highest during the early part of the workday and decreased as the day progressed. Hand wash events per person hour was highest among the ancilliary staff followed by the doctors and nurses. Real-time feedback has potential to increase hand hygiene compliance among HCWs. The system demonstrates the possibility of automating compliance monitoring in an ICU with an open layout.

Depression and chronic medical disorders are strongly linked. There are limited studies addressing the correlates of the severity of depression in patients with co-morbid disorders in primary care settings. This study aimed to identify the socio-demographic and disease-specific risk factors associated with the severity of depression at baseline among patients participating in a randomized controlled trial (HOPE study). Participants were part of a randomized controlled trial in 49 primary care health centers in rural India. We included adults (≥ 30 years) with at least mild Depression or Anxiety Disorder and at least one Cardiovascular disorder or Type 2 Diabetes mellitus. They were assessed for the severity of depression using the PHQ-9, severity of anxiety, social support, number of co-morbid chronic medical illnesses, anthropometric measurements, HbA1c, and lipid profile. Proportionately there were more women in the moderate category of depression than men. Ordinal logistic regression showed co-morbid anxiety and a lower level of education significantly increased the odds of more severe depression, while more social support was significantly negatively associated with depression severity in women. In men, anxiety was positively associated with greater depression severity; while reporting more social support was negatively associated with depression. This is a cross-sectional study and thus, no causal conclusions are possible. Anxiety and poor social support in both genders and lower educational levels in women were associated with increased severity of depression. Early identification of risk factors and appropriate treatment at a primary care setting may help in reducing the morbidity and mortality associated with depression.