Mobile Technology to Engage and Link Patients and Providers in Antidepressant Treatment

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Depression
• Interventions: Behavioral: MedLink System

• Registration Number: NCT01909973
• Lead Sponsor: Northwestern University

Brief Summary

The goal of this project is to develop and pilot a mobile smartphone delivered intervention that will improve antidepressant medication care by providing medication adherence monitoring and support to the patient, feedback on patient adherence and response to treatment to the primary care team, and information to both patients and providers on guideline-congruent care personalized to the patient's response to antidepressant medication.

Detailed Description

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is common and imposes a very high societal burden in terms of cost, morbidity, suffering, and mortality. While primary care is the de facto site for treatment of MDD, outcomes in primary care are poor. Two principal reasons for the poor outcomes in primary care are poor patient adherence to antidepressant medications (ADMs) and the failure of physicians to provide guideline-congruent care. This problem is aggravated by a lack of communication between patients and the care team.

A growing body of research indicates that primary care-centered strategies aimed at enhancing guideline-congruent care have not been effective. Interventions aimed at improving adherence in the patient have been successful in changing patient adherence behavior; however these frequently fail to improve depression outcomes, particularly when there is no intervention on the physician side to encourage optimization of ADMs. Recent developments in information and communications technologies (ICT) have opened new opportunities to improve health and mental health care, and to link patients and their providers. This study harnesses these advances to develop and pilot a system where ADM adherence will be passively measured using an electronic pill dispenser. The dispenser is connected to a mobile smartphone via Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), so that targeted, timely reminders can be provided when the patient fails to take the ADM. When the patient is adherent, the patient will not be bothered with reminders. Depressive symptoms and side-effects will be periodically monitored weekly via the phone. Every 4 weeks, or if indicated (e.g intolerable side effects or urgent situations), primary care teams will receive notifications via the electronic medical record that include a summary of patient data on treatment response and side effects, guideline-congruent treatment recommendations based on patient data and a recommendation to contact the patient, if indicated. Simultaneously, a similar message will be provided to the patient via short message service (or text), including feedback, possible treatment options, and a recommendation to contact the physician's office. Thus, both the patient and care team will be activated to provide, request and adhere to guideline-congruent care.

The aim of this study is to develop and pilot the medLink system. Development will employ an iterative user-centered approach. The pilot trial will compare 12 weeks of the medLink system to a treatment as usual control among primary care patients with MDD initiating ADM treatment. Outcomes will include patient adherence to ADM, physician adherence to treatment guidelines, and depression.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2012-04
• Study First Submitted: 2013-07-17
• Study First Submitted QC: 2013-07-24
• Study First Posted: 2013-07-29
• Primary Completion: 2016-04
• Study Completion: 2016-04
• Results First Submitted: 2018-07-17
• Status Verified: 2019-10
• Results First Submitted QC: 2019-10-04
• Last Update Submitted: 2019-10-04
• Results First Posted: 2019-10-08
• Last Update Posted: 2019-10-08

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 15

Inclusion Criteria

• Has been prescribed an antidepressant medication by a Primary Care Provider, but has not yet initiated treatment
• Has depression determined by primary care physician
• Is familiar with the use of mobile phones
• Is able and willing to carry the mobile phone
• Is able to speak and read English
• Is at least 18 years of age

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Exclusion Criteria

• Is current taking an antidepressant medication or has taken one in the previous 3 months
• Has visual, hearing, voice, or motor impairment that would prevent completion of study procedures or use of mobile phone
• Is diagnosed with a psychotic disorder, bipolar disorder, dissociative disorder, current substance dependence, or other diagnosis for which participation in this trial is either inappropriate or dangerous. Patients with substance dependence diagnoses who have been clean and sober for 12 months will be admitted if otherwise eligible
• Is severely suicidal (has ideation, plan, and intent)

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Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
MedLink System	MedLink System	For 12 weeks, the patient who is newly prescribed antidepressant medication will receive a mobile phone and a GSM enable pill bottle in order to provide and receive feedback regarding medication adherence.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Adherence to Antidepressant Medication	Baseline, Week 4, Week 8, Week 12	Frequency of medication usage from baseline to end of treatment

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9)	Baseline, Week 4, Week 8, Week 12	The PHQ-9 measures degree of depression severity. Possible range of scores for the PHQ-9 is 0-27. Higher values represent a worse outcome. Specifically, scores of 0-4 indicate minimal or no depression; 5-9 is mild; 10-14 is moderate; 15-19 is moderately severe; and 20-27 is severe.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Northwestern University, Northwestern Medicine; 🇺🇸 Chicago, Illinois, United States