People with serious mental illness, such as bipolar disease and schizophrenia, die on average 25 years earlier than their peers. A common cause of death is heart disease that frequently develops unchecked due to lack of preventive care.
People with serious mental illness, such as bipolar disease and schizophrenia, die on average 25 years earlier than their peers. A common cause of death is heart disease that frequently develops unchecked due to lack of preventive care.
Christina Mangurian, MD, MAS, from UC San Francisco’s Department of Psychiatry, has identified one cost-effective way to ensure that this population receives frequent cardiovascular screening: an evidence-based integrated care model that leverages technology.
In her study published in the journal Psychiatry Online on Sept. 1, 2017, Mangurian calculated that it would cost $74 per patient, per year, to test for and treat common illnesses that put people at risk for heart disease.
“People with serious mental health illness use primary care far less than the general population, but more than half of them regularly access community health services,” she said.
Read more at University of California, San Francisco
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