As long as studies on antidepressants fail to identify subgroups for which different classes of medication may be more beneficial, disappointing results regarding antidepressant effectiveness are to be expected. Even large-scale naturalistic studies like the STAR*D offer limited guidance because they do not individualize antidepressants from the outset. The algorithm in Depression Consultant, first described at the American Psychiatric Association's annual scientific meeting in May, 2000, and then followed up with additional data at APA meetings in 2005, 2007 and 2009, is a tool designed for that purpose.
Copyright 2012, Scaled Psychiatric Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
1. Traditional experimental research has shown limited utility in guiding complex treatments for depression
2. Treatments for depression are best tested in real world settings
3. As research funding becomes increasingly limited, studies requiring large sample sizes to identify subtype differences in response to complex treatments become even less likely to occur.
4. With depression on the increase and remission rates from antidepressants at only 30%, the need for better algorithms with higher success rates grows more urgent.
Copyright 2012, Scaled Psychiatric Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
Researchers and clinicians each play a crucial role in the war against depression.
As in all medical fields, scientists behind the scenes create the weapons that health professionals on the front lines use to fight for their depressed patients. This website and the TTDI Depression Consultant app only exist because of the exceptional work of numerous researchers and clinicians over the years. By developing the medications that now exist and implementing methods for optimizing their use these two groups have made Depression Consultant possible.
Of course there is more to the story. What makes Depression Consultant the first decision support system of its kind?