Pilot Study of Annie Text Messaging for Depression Treatment Adherence

Not Applicable

Completed

Conditions: Depression

Interventions: Behavioral: AIMS
Behavioral: AIMS plus

Registration Number: NCT03930849

Lead Sponsor: VA Office of Research and Development

Brief Summary: Patients and providers need effective tools to help promote adherence to newly prescribed medications for depression and to determine if this medication is improving depressed mood. This study will test an intervention that uses 1) VA's text messaging program called Annie to help patient's engage in self-management when starting a new medication for depression and 2) My HealtheVet, VA's patient portal, for education and communication with their VA health care team. The goals of this intervention are to improve adherence to depression medication and depressive symptoms in Veterans.

Detailed Description: Background: There are several known challenges to starting a medication for depression, such as side effects and needing four to six weeks before the effects of the medication may be noticed. This pilot randomized controlled trial will compare usual care to an intervention which aims to improve antidepressant adherence and depression outcomes in Veterans initiating medication to treat depression by using Annie, VA's short messaging services (SMS) application and My HealtheVet, VA's patient portal.

Method: Veterans will be eligible if they are initiating a new antidepressant medication as part of their care at the Iowa City VA primary care or mental health. Veterans will be randomized to one of three groups, usual care or 1 of 2 interventional groups (Annie or Annie plus). Veterans in the intervention groups will 1) receive education about depression and the importance of taking medications as prescribed and 2) receive text messages from "Annie" with information and questions for response. For example, are Veterans taking their medication, is their medication working, and how would they rate their mood. They will also receive weekly reports about their responses to Annie through My HealtheVet, VA's patient portal. In addition, Veterans assigned to Annie Plus will receive a weekly phone call to review progress and to answer any questions. Prior to a participant's scheduled follow-up appointment, a summary of information collected to date via Annie will be made available to the clinical team in the medical record. At the end of the study, participants will be invited to complete a recorded interview about their experiences using the Annie text messaging program and to provide any recommendations for changes. VA providers will also be invited to complete a recorded phone interview about their experience with patients using Annie.

For Veterans randomized to the control condition, research staff will provide education about depression and the importance of taking medications as prescribed. Staff will contact participants in this arm by phone just prior to scheduled follow up visits to discuss any concerns the patient may be experiencing. A sample of Veterans will be asked to complete a recorded interview about their medication management at the end of the study.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status: COMPLETED

Sex: All

Target Recruitment: 53

Inclusion Criteria

VA Patient

Diagnosed with depression
Initiating or changing to a new antidepressant medication
Cell phone with text messaging capabilities
Registered with My HealtheVet
Follow-up appointment with their provider in the next 12 weeks
Internet access
English speaking VA Providers: provide care to a study participant

Exclusion Criteria

Lack of cell phone access/willingness to receive text messages
Diagnosis of cognitive disorders, psychotic disorders, bipolar disorder, or active substance abuse.

Study & Design

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL

Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
AIMS Intervention	AIMS	Participants randomized to the AIMS arm be enrolled in VA's Annie text messaging program and receive the study protocol.
AIMS Intervention Plus	AIMS plus	Participants randomized to the AIMS Intervention Plus arm will be enrolled in VA's Annie text messaging program/study protocol and receive a weekly phone call.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Medication Adherence at Baseline, 6 Weeks and 12 Weeks	Baseline, 6 and 12 weeks	Medication Adherence Rating Scale - 10 item self-report measure of medication taking attitudes, behaviors, and side effects. It is scored on a 0-10 scale with higher scores indicating greater adherence.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Depressive Symptoms at Baseline, 6 Weeks and 12 Weeks	Baseline, 6 and 12 weeks	Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) - a standard instrument for measuring depressive symptom severity and monitoring treatment outcomes over time. A score of 4 or less indicates minimal depression, 5-9 mild depression, 10-14 moderate depression, 15-19 moderately severe depression, and 20-27 indicates severe depression. The total score may range from 0 -27.
Medication Side Effects at Baseline, 6 Weeks, and 12 Weeks	Baseline, 6 and 12 weeks	The Frequency, Intensity, and Burden of Side Effects Ratings (FIBSER): The 3-item FIBSER asks about the frequency, severity, and functional impact of antidepressant side effects using a 0 to 6- Likert scale. The prevalence and distribution of scores for each domain will be compared across assessment time points. Higher scores indicate greater side effect burden while lower scores indicate lesser. The range for the total score on the measure can span from 0 to 18. A decline in total score is the desired outcome.