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Enhancing the Clinical Effectiveness of Depression Screening Using Patient-targeted Feedback in General Practices

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Depression
Interventions
Other: Patient-targeted feedback
Other: GP-targeted feedback
Registration Number
NCT03988985
Lead Sponsor
Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf
Brief Summary

The multi-center GET.FEEDBACK.GP randomized controlled trial is designed based on patients' needs and preferences. In order to evaluate the effect of feedback in the broader setting of primary care, a total of 1076 primary care patients with elevated levels of depression (PHQ-9 score ≥ 10) will be randomized into three groups who either receive a) patient-targeted and physician-targeted feedback of depression screening results, b) a physician-targeted feedback of depression screening results only, or c) no feedback of screening results. The primary study outcome is depression severity after 6 months, secondary outcomes include the patients' behavior and cognitions after the screening, depression care according to German guideline recommendations and the health economic evaluation.

Detailed Description

Major depression is one of the most significant clinical disorders. In primary care, every sixth patient suffers from increased depression level, which is associated with higher risk of suicide, increased risk of onset and progression of chronic physical conditions. Still, depression is under recognized and undertreated in primary care. Moreover, evidence regarding the efficacy of depression screening in primary care is insufficient to draw clear conclusions. Our previous mono-center depression screening trial in cardiac patients, provides first evidence that written patient-targeted feedback improves depression severity, encourages greater patient participation and engagement in mental health. To amplify these effects, the multi-center GET.FEEDBACK.GP randomized controlled trial is now designed based on patients' needs and preferences. In order to evaluate the effect of feedback in the broader setting of primary care, a total of 1076 primary care patients with elevated levels of depression (PHQ-9 score ≥ 10) will be randomized into three groups who either receive a) patient-targeted and physician-targeted feedback of depression screening results, b) a physician-targeted feedback of depression screening results only, or c) no feedback of screening results. The primary study outcome is depression severity after 6 months, secondary outcomes include the patients' behavior and cognitions after the screening, depression care according to German guideline recommendations and the health economic evaluation.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
1030
Inclusion Criteria
  • Gender: male, female, diverse
  • Maximum Age: no maximum age
  • Attendance in primary care with medical consultation
  • Age ≥ 18 years;
  • Sufficient language skills;
  • Informed consent
  • Patient Health Questionnaire-9 > 9 points
Exclusion Criteria
  • Life threatening health status;
  • Severe somatic or/and psychological disorder that needs urgent treatment;
  • Known diagnosis of a depressive disorder
  • Current depression treatment
  • Acute suicidal tendency;
  • Severe cognitive or/and visual difficulties;
  • Not being able to fill out questionnaires
  • No contact details

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
FACTORIAL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
PATIENT-GP-FEEDBACKPatient-targeted feedbackUsing a randomized-controlled study design one third of the patients and their attending general practitioner will receive feedback after depression screening. The feedback for the patient contains the screening result, information about depression in general, guideline based treatment recommendations for patients and contact-information for treatment. The feedback for the general practitioner contains the screening result and guideline-based recommendations, i.e. to inform patients of their depression screening result. Nevertheless, in order to reflect routine clinical practice, the physicians will decide themselves whether or not to address depression during their consultation with the patient.
GP-FEEDBACKGP-targeted feedbackUsing a randomized-controlled study design in one third of the cases only the attending general practitioner will receive feedback after depression screening. The feedback for the general practitioner contains the screening result and guideline-based recommendations, i.e. to inform patients of their depression screening result. Nevertheless, in order to reflect routine clinical practice, the physicians will decide themselves whether or not to address depression during their consultation with the patient.
PATIENT-GP-FEEDBACKGP-targeted feedbackUsing a randomized-controlled study design one third of the patients and their attending general practitioner will receive feedback after depression screening. The feedback for the patient contains the screening result, information about depression in general, guideline based treatment recommendations for patients and contact-information for treatment. The feedback for the general practitioner contains the screening result and guideline-based recommendations, i.e. to inform patients of their depression screening result. Nevertheless, in order to reflect routine clinical practice, the physicians will decide themselves whether or not to address depression during their consultation with the patient.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Depression severity (Questionnaire: Patient Health Questionnaire-9)Six months after screening

Level of depression severity six months after screening (Patient Health Questionnaire-9)

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Depression severity (Questionnaire: Patient Health Questionnaire-9)One and twelve months after screening

Level of depression severity one and twelve months after screening (Questionnaire: Patient Health Questionnaire-9)

Anxiety (Questionnaire: Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7)One, six and twelve months after screening

Level of anxiety severity one, six and twelve months after screening

Health economic Evaluation (Questionnaire: Client Sociodemographic and Service Receipt Inventory)Six and twelve months after screening

Direct and indirect health costs (Client Sociodemographic and Service Receipt Inventory)

Somatic symptom severity (Questionnaire: Somatic Symptom Scale-8)One, six and twelve months after screening

Level of somatic symptom severity one, six and twelve months after screening

Depression treatmentSix and twelve months after screening

Proportion of patients treated according to German Guideline based recommendations

Quality-adjusted life years (Questionnaire: EuroQol-5D)Six and twelve months after screening

Quality-adjusted years of life and quality of life (EuroQol-5D)

Trial Locations

Locations (5)

University Medical Center Hamburg

🇩🇪

Hamburg, Germany

Technical University of Munich - Medical Faculty

🇩🇪

Munich, Bavaria, Germany

University Medical Center Jena

🇩🇪

Jena, Thueringen, Germany

University Medical Center Heidelberg

🇩🇪

Heidelberg, Baden-Würtenberg, Germany

University Medical Center Tuebingen

🇩🇪

Tuebingen, Baden-Würtenberg, Germany

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