The quality of depression care usually is judged by treatment processes like the frequency of patients’ visits or whether they receive an antidepressant prescription. What really matters is whether patients’ depressive symptoms are effectively treated, but most systems of care have had no way to measure that vital outcome.

With funding from the National VA Health Services Research and Development program, CMCD is supporting a longitudinal study of patients under treatment for major depressive disorder within Veterans Health Administration clinics. We are developing a new tool that uses interactive voice response (IVR) calls to  systematically monitor patients’ depressive symptoms using a validated scale (PHQ-9). Using these patient-reported outcomes, investigators will examine the relationships between care structures, treatment process measures, and outcomes. The study is led by CMCD affiliate, Paul Pfeiffer, MD, MS.

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