Green light for DMP in depression

    

    

Doctors newspaper online, 15.08.2019

    

        
        
        

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Current GBA Decision

Joint Federal Committee adopts details on the design of a new treatment program for people with recurrent or long-lasting depression.

By Thomas Hommel

BERLIN. Patients suffering from recurrent or long-term depression may be treated in a structured treatment program (DMP) in the future. The Joint Federal Committee (GBA) decided on Thursday to clarify the content of the new program.

It was determined, among other things, which target group should be approached with the new treatment offer and what therapy goals and therapy planning should look like for the patients. However, these can only be enrolled in the program if health insurance companies have concluded appropriate contracts with physicians or hospitals for the practical implementation of the new DMP.

Guideline-appropriate therapy

"The treatment of moderate and severe depression is often very complex due to the combination of therapeutic interventions with correspondingly different service providers, the networking effort is correspondingly high," said Professor Elisabeth Pott, non-partisan member of the JCC and chair of the sub-committee DMP.

The treatment program developed by the GBA on the basis of evidence-based guidelines starts right here, continues Pott. "On the basis of a reliable diagnosis, the DMP should ensure a guideline-oriented and targeted therapy, which depends on the severity and course of the depression and also considers the different stages of life of the patient or patient as an important factor."

Also for patients with depression as comorbidity

The GBA emphasized that the simultaneous existence of mental or physical illnesses such as anxiety disorders, alcohol dependence, tumor diseases or diabetes was explicitly not an exclusion criterion for participation in the program. On the other hand, if the depression occurs as a result of an underlying physical illness, enrolling in the DMP is not possible. In this case, the treatment of the underlying disease in the foreground. Participation in the DMP could, however, take place if the depression was to be considered comorbidity, informed the GBA in a statement.

According to the GBA, the inclusion and exclusion criteria for enrolling in the DMP depression are checked by primary care physicians or specialized service providers such as psychiatrists and psychotherapists.

6.9 Million DMP Patients Nationwide

DMP programs are now associated with numerous diseases, including bronchial asthma, diabetes mellitus, breast cancer or chronic heart failure. According to the GBA, a total of 6.8 million legally insured persons were enrolled in one or more programs in 2017. 9173 of such programs of different funds are currently approved by the Federal Insurance Office (BVA).

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