Nhi-Ha T. Trinh
Depression Clinical and Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital,
One Bowdoin Square, Boston, MA 02114
Tanzania
Research Article
Using the Electronic Medical Record to Examine Racial and Ethnic Differences in Depression Diagnosis and Treatment in a Primary Care Population
Author(s): Nhi-Ha T. Trinh, Rachel LaRocca, Susan Regan, Trina E. Chang, Stephen E. Gilman ScD, Maurizio Fava and Albert YeungNhi-Ha T. Trinh, Rachel LaRocca, Susan Regan, Trina E. Chang, Stephen E. Gilman ScD, Maurizio Fava and Albert Yeung
Objective: We assessed racial and ethnic differences in depression diagnosis and treatment in a primary care population. Methods: A sample of primary care outpatients in 2007 was generated using the electronic medical record (EMR). Patients were considered depressed if their providers billed for depression-related codes; they were considered prescribed antidepressants if any antidepressants were on their medication list. Rates of diagnosis and medication prescription were estimated using a generalized linear model with a Poisson distribution, adjusting for covariates. Results: In the resulting sample (n=85,790), all minority groups were less likely to be diagnosed with depression as compared to Whites (p<0.05); 11.36% of Whites had a depression diagnosis, as compared to 6.44% of Asian Americans, 7.55% of African Americans, and 10.18% of Latino Americans. Among those with a depressi.. View More»
