Computerised patient-specific guidelines for management of common mental disorders in primary care: a randomised controlled trial

• HIT Description: decision support Ð clinical guidelines / protocols More info...
  
• Purpose of Study: To compare the effectiveness of case-finding followed by computer-generated patient-specific guidelines with usual care for the management of depression and anxiety in primary care
  
• Years of study: Not Available
  
• Study Design: RCT
  
• Outcomes: impact on patient satisfaction and health care effectiveness and quality
  

• Settings: Sample of patients from 5 general practices in Bristol and Cardiff scoring 3 or higher on a General Health Questionnaire screening instrument
• Intervention: Patients scoring >= 12 on a computerized psychosocial assessment were randomized so that physicians of intervention patients received a computer-generated report with details of mental health issues and patient-specific treatment recommendations. Control patients received usual care with physician access to locally created guidelines.
• Evaluation Method: Mailed questionnaires (general health questionnaire) to patients
• Description: Computerized self-assessment
• Quality of Care and Patient Safety Outcome: Intervention patients had lower general health questionnaire scores at 6 weeks but the effect was not sustained at 6 months. There were no differences between groups in effect on recovery, quality of life or patient satisfaction.