Key opinion leaders discuss the importance of early effective treatment for patients with MDD.
Michael Rothrock, MBA, MHA: I’d like to build on the last answer by Dr Cannon. He mentioned the need for additional behavioral therapists, and I don’t disagree. COVID-19 has accelerated the number of patients looking for help. Telehealth has definitely allowed a little more convenience and uptake in behavioral health introduction, and maybe we’re removing some of the stigma associated with depression by allowing that one-on-one conversation. But as he alluded to, getting that interaction early and finding the right drug should provide the best outcome for the patient. [Doctors] may be able to intervene to say: “This drug may not be working, we should have seen something. Let’s write you a new prescription. Let’s minimize the cycling of trial and error of different medications.”
Getting them early treatment and getting them accurately and effectively treated with cognitive behavioral therapy is going to promote the best outcome and the long-term goal of minimizing the relapses of MDD [major depressive disorder].
H. Eric Cannon, PharmD, FAMCP: When we talk about early treatment options and getting needed treatment quickly, we sometimes discount the impact of failing that first choice or second choice. Each time it fails, the impact on the patient compounds. The sooner we can get a patient on effective treatment where they start to notice some benefit early on, the more the overall outcome for the patient is greatly improved.
Transcript edited for clarity.
Study Finds Obesity May Worsen Multiple Sclerosis: Genetic Analysis Points to Causal Link
November 21st 2024A new study aimed at exploring the relationship between obesity and multiple sclerosis severity using genetic data finds that higher BMI and other obesity measures were associated with increased disability progression in patients with MS.
Read More
Higher Life’s Essential 8 Scores Associated With Reduced COPD Risk
November 21st 2024Higher Life’s Essential 8 (LE8) scores, especially those reflecting lower nicotine exposure and better sleep health, are inversely associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) risk, emphasizing the importance of cardiovascular health (CVH) in disease prevention.
Read More
Insurance Insights: Dr Jason Shafrin Estimates DMD Insurance Value
July 18th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the author of a study published in the July 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® that estimates the insurance value of novel Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) treatment.
Listen
Study Highlights Key RA-ILD Risk Factors, Urges Early Screening
November 20th 2024This recent study highlights key risk factors for rheumatoid arthritis–associated interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD), emphasizing the importance of early screening to improve diagnosis and patient outcomes.
Read More
New Study Finds Risk Groups, Outpatient Care Barriers in Chronic Liver Disease
November 20th 2024Patients with chronic liver disease who were unable to establish care were 85% more likely to require recurrent hospitalizations. This group included a disproportionate number of women and individuals with physical limitations affecting their health.
Read More