Expedite Depression Monitoring

Using the Patient Health Questionnaire– 9 (PHQ-9) makes office visits for depression (both initial and follow- up) go faster and more smoothly. The questionnaire provides objective corroboration of the diagnosis and evidence of whether treatment is working. It also gives patients a way to gauge their symptoms. When I walk into the examination room for a follow-up visit with someone whose depression I have been monitoring for some time, I am often greeted by the patient holding up the PHQ-9 and telling me enthusiastically, “Look, I’m an 8 today!”

—— Manvinder Kainth, MD