Comparison of the Efficacy Between Standard Measurement-Base Care (MBC) and Enhanced MBC for Major Depressive Disorder: A Pilot Study.

PURPOSE

To validate the efficacy of enhanced measurement-based care against standard measurement-based care in patients with major depressive disorder.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In this pilot study of an ongoing multicenter cluster randomized controlled trails, 160 patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder were enrolled from 2 mental health centers, with a plan to include 12 centers in total. One hundred patients engaged in a six-month evaluation using a technology-enhanced measurement-based care tool, including assessments of clinical symptoms, side effects, and functionality at baseline, two months, four months and six months. Simultaneously, the remaining 60 patients underwent standard paper-based measurement-based care, utilizing the same set of scales over the same six-month period, with assessments at the same time points.

RESULTS

Patients utilizing the enhanced measurement-based care tool demonstrated a significantly higher reduction rate in PHQ-9 scores compared to those using standard paper-based measurement-based care during the two-month follow-up. Additionally, a notable positive correlation was observed between the frequency of enhanced measurement-based care tool usage and the quality of life during the two-month follow-up.

CONCLUSION

Enhanced measurement-based care has the effect of reducing depressive symptoms. Our study emphasized that using enhanced measurement-based care via smartphones is a feasible tool for patients with major depressive disorder. Our future study, including results from additional research centers, may further validate the effectiveness of enhanced measurement-based care.