Aptly named this report is about a three-year study investigating proactive care by practice nurses based in GP surgeries for people with depression and anxiety
It looks into the benefits for those with chronic illness in having regular and structured appointments with practice nurses, much as people with chronic physical complaints such as Asthma or diabetes do in there GPs’ surgery.
There key findings (found here: http://www.mind.org.uk/news/5557_new_study_finds_increased_role_for_practice_nurses_in_treating_depression_has_mutual_benefits)
Found statistically significant improvements in social functioning and general (though not statistically significant) improvements to the patients well being and though the cost effectiveness of these appointments were not significant in this instance the possibility that particular interventions could be I feel demands further study.
I am still in the process of reading the full report but it struck me within minutes that this was a very similar role to the job that CPNs (country psychiatric nurses) fulfil, only proactive instead of reactive and that it if successful in reducing the severity of the patients illness then it would be very cost effective not only on a day to day basis but in the reduction of more costly interventions. That I and hundreds of people have benefitted from the help of CPNs is clear by their continued presence in the care system and therefore it seems logical that ultimately with the right initiatives this will also prove cost effective.
It was reported that patients felt more able to talk to practice nurses than to their GPs and that their adherence to medication and referrals to further treatments also went up the more regularly people attended the appointments firmly suggesting that further study would elucidate the most productive and helpful interventions to make this cost effective.
More on this later...
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