Online system may ID mental health disorders

An Internet-based system could be a useful tool for screening adults for mental health disorders and giving preliminary diagnoses, according to a new Dutch study.

This eDiagnostics system is already used in primary care practices in The Netherlands, the researchers say, but nowhere else, and more study is needed to determine if it is reliable, valid and cost-effective.

"Using the Internet to diagnose mental health problems in primary care seems very promising," writes lead author Ies Dijksman and colleagues from Maastricht University.

"The great advantage of an electronic system is that patients can complete diagnostic tests at home," Dijksman told Reuters Health in an email, adding that people may be quicker to reveal themselves over the Internet and provide genuine responses to questions because of their perceived anonymity.

"This could lead to a more accurate information collection process compared to conventional clinical interviews," Dijksman said.

Yet conventional interviews may still have a place in primary care, since the complete use of Internet-based activity may present some "unforeseen obstacles," the researcher said. "For example, there are no visual cues to guide the physician."

Dr. Eric Bender, who was not involved in Dijksman's study, also noted the importance of visual cues. "Someone may say, ‘I'm feeling fine,' but they may look like they're on the verge of tears," he told Reuters Health. He also questioned whether the use of an Internet-based tool may inadvertently cause a delay in diagnosis of mental health disorders among the elderly and people who are not computer literate.

"As a clinical provider, I want to see people," said Bender, a private-practice child/adolescent, adult and forensic psychiatrist who also works as a staff psychiatrist at the University of California, San Francisco. "I think it's critical to see patients," he said.

For their study Dijksman and her colleagues surveyed general practitioners (GPs), practice nurses (PNs) and adult patients about their experiences with TelePsy, an eDiagnostic system that was introduced into primary care practices in The Netherlands in September 2011.

In The Netherlands - similar to the UK, Spain and some managed care plans in the U.S. - patients who desire to see a specialist health care provider must first visit a primary care provider for a referral. TelePsy assists those doctors and nurse practitioners in identifying symptoms and potential causes of psychological problems and gives advice about a patient's need for referral to specialty care.

After an initial referral from the primary care provider, the eDiagnostics process requires patients to complete a questionnaire. The profile created from those responses is reviewed by a TelePsy psychologist who then does a telephone consultation with the patient, and afterward prepares a report that is submitted back to the primary care provider.