Tuesday, August 24, 2004

Telepsychiatry to Treat Depression Is Comparable to in-Person Treatment
Reuters Health News story at Medscape - "Patients treated through telepsychiatry are as satisfied and their symptoms remit as early as those treated in person, new study results suggest. Dr. Paul E. Ruskin, a psychiatrist at the VA Maryland Health Care System in Baltimore, and his team enrolled 119 veterans with depression in a randomized, control trial that comprised eight sessions over 6 months. Fifty-nine patients were assigned to remote treatment delivered by personal-computer-based videoconferencing equipment and cameras mounted on the monitors, and 60 were treated in person. Their findings are reported in the American Journal of Psychiatry for August." "med"  
  

Urgency in Therapeutic Intervention and Rapid Remission of Depression
An "Expert Interview" in Medscape Psychiatry and Health with Kiran Rabheru - "Depression is commonly underdiagnosed among the elderly, despite the importance of detecting it and the effectiveness of available medications. Medical editor Penelope Gray-Allan, on behalf of Medscape, discusses developments in the treatment of depression, focusing on older patients, with Canadian psychiatrist Kiran Rabheru, MD, Chair, Division of Geriatric Psychiatry and Associate Professor, Psychiatry, at the University of Western Ontario." [Viewing Medscape resources requires registration, which is free].  
  

The Importance of Treating the Underpinnings of Depression
An "Expert Interview" with Pierre Blier at Medscape - "Recent evidence suggests that symptom remission alone is not the best goal in the treatment of depression. Medical editor Penelope Gray-Allan, on behalf of Medscape, discusses developments in best practices with Canadian psychiatrist Pierre Blier, MD, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry, at the Institute of Mental Health Research, University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada." [Viewing Medscape resources requires registration, which is free].