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Site Matters: Winning the Hearts and Minds of Patients in a Cardiology Clinic

Received November 13, 2006; revised January 31, 2007; accepted February 9, 2007. From the Depts. of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY; Cardiology and Psychiatry, Elmhurst Hospital Center, Queens, NY; the Dept. of Cardiology, and the Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC. Send correspondence and reprint requests to Rachel A. Annunziato, Ph.D., Mount Sinai School of Medicine, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1230, New York, NY 10029. e-mail: rachel.annunziato{at}mssm.edu
© 2008 The Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine

BACKGROUND: In medical care settings, mental health symptoms of depression and distress are associated with poor medical outcomes, yet they are often underrecognized. OBJECTIVE: Authors sought to examine the effect of having immediate mental-health screening in the cardiology clinic. METHOD: The Patient Health Questionnaire and the Impact of Event Scale were used to screen for depression and distress in 316 patients at an urban cardiology clinic. Because of poor follow-up rates, a psychiatrist was placed on the premises of the cardiology clinic to facilitate referrals. RESULTS: Placing a psychiatrist within the cardiology clinic significantly improved the rate of successful referrals. CONCLUSION: Because 45 patients (14%) endorsed suicidal thoughts, authors conclude that mental health screening programs should include an immediate evaluation by a clinician.

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