Wayne J. Katon, MD, Discusses How Collaborative Care Drives Quality

Wayne J. Katon, MD, professor of psychiatry, director of the division of health services and epidemiology, and vice chair of the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Washington Medical School, says that people with psychiatric illness in primary care settings cost the system twice as much as those without mental illness. Comorbidities such as depression can add to those costs.

“Integrating models of care like collaborative care have been shown to improve the quality of care, meaning they’re more likely to get an evidence-based treatment like a psychotherapy or med that would help their depression, and also they have better outcomes,” says Dr Katon. “We’ve shown that you can actually save money, particularly with these comorbid populations, by providing better mental healthcare integrated within the primary care system.”