The benefits of measurement-based care for primary care patients with depression

Follow the case of Mrs C, a primary care patient with depression who fails to respond to initial antidepressant treatment, and see how measurement-based care helps her clinician confirm her diagnosis, track symptom response, and assess her sense of well-being. Using rating scales such as the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7), and Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ) can help clinicians recognize suboptimal response and make treatment adjustments such as optimizing the medication dose, switching to another medication, or augmenting with medications, psychotherapy, or exercise. For Mrs C and other patients with depression, the goal of treatment must go beyond symptom remission to improve quality of life.