12-Month Cost Outcomes of Community Engagement Versus Technical Assistance for Depression Quality Improvement: A Partnered, Cluster Randomized, Comparative-Effectiveness Trial

To compare community engagement and planning (CEP) for coalition support to implement depression quality improvement (QI) to resources for services (RS) effects on service-use costs over a 12-month period. Matched health and community programs (N=93) were cluster-randomized within communities to CEP or RS. Two Los Angeles communities. Adults (N=1,013) with depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-8) ≥10); 85% African American and Latino. CEP and RS to support programs in depression QI. Intervention training and service-use costs over 12 months. CEP planning and training costs were almost 3 times higher than RS, largely due to greater CEP provider training participation vs RS, with no significant differences in 12-month service-use costs. Compared with RS, CEP had higher planning and training costs with similar service-use costs.