Depression Screening Less Likely During Telehealth Than In-Person Visit

A recent study reveals that depression screenings during telehealth visits were less frequent compared to in-person visits early in the pandemic. Conducted by UCSF researchers, the study analyzed depression screening rates based on visit type and patient characteristics. It found significantly lower odds of screening during video and telephone visits compared to in-person appointments. The transition to telemedicine and the urgency of the pandemic response led to lagging workflows for depression screening in telemedicine encounters. The study emphasizes the need for fully integrating screening into telehealth visits, particularly addressing emerging disparities by race, ethnicity, language, or age. As depression rates rise, researchers explore strategies to enhance digital health technologies' efficacy in mental health treatment.