The Tango to Modern Collaboration and Patient-Centric Value Generation in Health Care - a real-world guide from practitioners for practitioners.

Background: Value-Based Health Care (VBHC) represents a pivotal shift from volume-based to outcome-driven quality metrics centered on patient-valued outcomes. This approach requires collaboration across all participants in the health care value chain; providers, payers, pharma, policymakers and patients (collectively known as the 5Ps). Despite substantial theoretical endorsement of VBHC's potential for improving health outcomes and system efficiency, empirical evidence detailing its practical implementation remains limited.

Compulsive sexual behavior disorder in an inpatient sample with substance use disorder.

Background: Several studies indicate that compulsive sexual behavior disorder (CSBD) shares core elements with substance use disorder (SUD). These findings support the assumption of common mechanisms in addiction, which may lead to a higher tendency in patients with SUD to have comorbid CSBD. Nevertheless, this relationship between CSBD and SUD is poorly understood to date.

Outpatient Psychotherapy Reduces Health-Care Costs: A Study of 22,294 Insurants over 5 Years.

Background: The project "Quality Assurance in Ambulatory Psychotherapy in Bavaria" (QS-PSY-BAY) focuses on the quality assurance of outpatient psychotherapy (OPT) in Germany in terms of symptom reduction and cost reduction under naturalistic conditions. In this study, we examined the effectiveness of psychotherapy in terms of pre-post cost reduction.

Method: The health-care costs of N = 22,294 insurants over a 5-year period were examined in a naturalistic longitudinal design.

[Typical patterns of depressive disorders during outpatient psychotherapy and their prediction].

Objectives: Are there typical patterns of outpatient psychotherapy among depressed patients? What characterizes patients with different patterns?

Methods: We examined N= 548 patients with primary depressive disorders using a naturalistic design. Using a latent-state-mixture model and depression measures at baseline, therapy end and 1-year follow-up we found a total of five patterns. Subgroups were compared with respect to sociodemographic and treatment-related variables.

[Non-completion of insurance-funded outpatient psychotherapy: frequency, risk factors, outcome].

Objective: Because premature discontinuation of psychotherapy limits the effectiveness of the interventions, in a naturalistic design we examined the prevalence, predictors, and outcome of premature discontinuation.

Methods: The sample included N = 584 patients with various mental disorders. Risk factors were identified using regression analysis.

Benefits and challenges in practice-oriented psychotherapy research in Germany: the TK and the QS-PSY-BAY projects of quality assurance in outpatient psychotherapy.

Objective: Two patient-focused long-term research projects performed in the German outpatient psychotherapy system are focused on in this article. The TK (Techniker Krankenkasse) project is the first study to evaluate a quality assurance and feedback system with regard to its practical feasibility in German routine care. The other study ("Quality Assurance in Outpatient Psychotherapy in Bavaria"; QS-PSY-BAY) was designed to test a new approach for quality assurance in outpatient psychotherapy using electronic documentation of patient characteristics and outcome parameters.

[Extensions of the outpatient psychotherapy: a study about patient, therapist, treatment, and therapy course characteristics].

Due to the treatment costs, extensions of the standard therapy duration are a matter of critical examination. This study investigates which factors characterize patients with treatment extensions in the German health system and how effective these extensions are for a reduction of the patients' symptoms. We analysed a disorder heterogeneous sample of 810 patients.

Beside the Geriatric Depression Scale: the WHO-Five Well-being Index as a valid screening tool for depression in nursing homes.

Objective: The aim of the study was to compare criterion validities of the WHO-Five Well-being Index (WHO-5) and the Geriatric Depression Scale 15-item version (GDS-15) and 4-item version (GDS-4) as screening instruments for depression in nursing home residents.

Methods: Data from 92 residents aged 65-97 years without severe cognitive impairment (Mini Mental State Examination ≥15) were analysed. Criterion validities of the WHO-5, the GDS-15 and the GDS-4 were assessed against diagnoses of major and minor depression provided by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV.

[Screening for depression in nursing homes: validity of the WHO (Five) Well-Being Index].

Objective: Depression is common in nursing home residents, but is still underrecognized. Screening for depression could be a first step to increase recognition rates within this high-risk group. Therefore, we investigated the validity of the WHO (Five) Well-Being Index (WHO-5) for early detection of depression in nursing home residents.

[Validity of the geriatric depression scale in nursing home residents: comparison of GDS-15, GDS-8, and GDS-4].

Objective: To assess and compare the validity of the German 15-item version and shortened versions of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) for early detection of depression in nursing home residents with mild to moderate cognitive impairment (MMSE ≥ 15).

Methods: Data from 92 patients were analysed. The Structural Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID) was used as the gold standard.

Who receives depression-specific treatment? A secondary data-based analysis of outpatient care received by over 780,000 statutory health-insured individuals diagnosed with depression.

Purpose: This study examined the effects of individual and regional characteristics on receiving depression-specific treatment in the statutory health-insured population of Bavaria (83% of the population).

Methods: Data of the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians in Bavaria were analysed for prevalence, diagnosis of and treatment for depression in outpatient care by considering individual and regional characteristics.

Results: Prevalence of diagnosed depression was 9.

Are treatment preferences relevant in response to serotonergic antidepressants and cognitive-behavioral therapy in depressed primary care patients? Results from a randomized controlled trial including a patients' choice arm.

Background: Little is known about the influence of depressed patients' preferences and expectations about treatments upon treatment outcome. We investigated whether better clinical outcome in depressed primary care patients is associated with receiving their preferred treatment.

Methods: Within a randomized placebo-controlled single-centre 10-week trial with 5 arms (sertraline; placebo; cognitive-behavioral group therapy, CBT-G; moderated self-help group control; treatment with sertraline or CBT-G according to patients' choice), outcomes for 145 primary care patients with mild-to-moderate depressive disorders according to DSM-IV criteria were investigated.

Depression in nursing homes: prevalence, recognition, and treatment.

Objective: Depression is very common in people above 65 years living in long-term care. However, little is known about how well depression is recognized and how adequately it is treated. Therefore, the present study aimed at assessing accuracy of the unaided clinical diagnosis of the attending physicians, and the medical treatment situation in nursing home residents.

Screening for depression in the older long-term unemployed.

Background: Misdiagnosis and undertreatment of depression in older, long-term unemployed people may not only pose a serious medical problem, but may also be an obstacle for their vocational reintegration. Screening for depression could be a first step to increasing treatment rates within this high-risk group. Therefore, the WHO-5 Well-Being Index was tested for its validity in unemployment offices.