Monday, April 05, 2004

Improving Depression Care
Health News Digest story reprinted at PsycPORT - "Quality improvement programs that encouraged depressed patients to undergo standard treatments for depression (psychotherapy or antidepressant medication) and gave them and their doctors up-to-date information and resources to increase access to treatments reduced depression rates among African Americans and Hispanics 5 years after the start of the 6 to 12 month programs. The study, supported by the National Institute of Mental Health and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, is published in the April issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry."  
  

Assessing Abuse Potential in Pain Patients
A Medscape Neurology & Neurosurgery Expert Column by Lynn R. Webster - "The prevalence of opiate abuse among patients with chronic pain is unknown but is believed to be no greater than the prevalence of opiate abuse in the general population. Some studies disagree and estimate the danger of addiction or abuse for pain patients to be higher than the norm. Other medical literature has put the prevalence of addictive disorders among patients who sustain major trauma as high as 60%. Despite the common use of opioid analgesics in the treatment of chronic pain, considerable fear exists among physicians that prescribing opioid drugs may contribute to opiate abuse or addiction..." [Viewing Medscape resources requires registration, which is free].  
  

The State of the Art in Addiction Medicine
Medscape Conference Coverage, based on selected sessions by Elizabeth Howell at the The State of the Art in Addiction Medicine conference last October 30 - November 1, including the Keynote Address, Addiction and Reward Circuitry in the Brain, Treatment of Nicotine and Opioid Dependence, Behavioral Parameters of Reward Incentives, Motivation Therapy, and Addiction and Behavioral Economics. [Viewing Medscape resources requires registration, which is free].