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News release: NationalSeptember 17, 2002 For more information, call: Kaiser Permanente research: doctor-patient communication and antidepressant therapy Talking and staying in touch help patients improve Oakland, CA – Simple communication may be the key to treating depressed patients more effectively with antidepressant medication, according to Kaiser Permanente research published in the September 18, 2002, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Investigators at Kaiser Permanente's Division of Research in Oakland, California, found that communication about the intended length of therapy and possible side effects helped patients to continue their antidepressant medication longer. Additionally, patients who talked to their doctors about side effects that emerged were five times more likely to be switched to a new medication when needed than patients who didn't have those discussions. "We also identified a gap between what doctors believe they've communicated and what patients hear or remember," says lead author Scott Bull, PharmD. "Seventy-three percent of physicians said they usually tell patients to keep taking their antidepressants for at least 6 months, but only 34 percent of patients remembered being told by their physicians to keep taking them that long." "A patient who doesn't understand how long they should continue taking their antidepressant drugs, and doesn't know what to expect in regard to side effects they might experience, is less likely to keep taking them long enough to experience the full benefits of the medication," says Dr. Bull. And that could mean they are at greater risk for depression relapse. Keeping track of patients also made a difference; Bull and colleagues found that patients who had more than three follow-up visits with their prescribing doctor were more likely to keep taking the antidepressant originally prescribed for them. "That tells me that frequent contact between a doctor and his or her patient makes a difference as well," says Bull. "These contacts probably make it easier for patients to talk with their physicians about how well the treatment is working and any side effects they're experiencing." Kaiser Permanente is America's leading integrated health care program. Founded in 1945, it is a not-for-profit, multi-specialty, group-practice prepayment program serving the health care needs of 8.4 million members in 9 states and the District of Columbia with headquarters in Oakland, California. Kaiser Permanente has research centers in 8 regions around the United States and publication of KP investigators' work has appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the New England Journal of Medicine, Pediatrics, the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, and other peer-reviewed medical journals.
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