Computer Interviews for Depression Management

Depression is underrecognized, underdiagnosed, and undertreated, with resultant increases in unnecessarysuffering, morbidity, and mortality. A decade of admonitions to practitioners to improve ourpractices has made little impact on these recognized deficiencies. Screening, diagnosis and monitoringfor depression, education about depression, and even self-help treatments for depression can all beimproved by using direct patient-computer interviews. Computer interviews gather information frompatients and give information to them, complementing, supplementing, and reinforcing clinician functioning.Available computer programs can help us reduce the gap between what is possible and what ispracticed—a laudable goal.