Patient expectations and experiences from a clinical study in psychiatric care using a self-monitoring system

Preliminary results from a clinical study concerning the feasibility of using a self-monitoring system in psychiatric care are presented. At the end of hospital treatment for depression 32 patients were enrolled in the study. The patients used the self-monitoring system at home during a 4-week period. Data from the case report forms show that a clear majority of the patients find that using the self-monitoring system supported them in getting a better overview of their symptoms. 12 out of 32 patients even found that using the system could help them catch an upcoming depression. A clear majority of the patients found it important that the use of the self-monitoring system was combined with communication and information sharing with their clinicians at face-to-face meetings and/or through telephone contacts.