For 16 weeks, researchers, led by Hunkeler, evaluated 302 patients starting antidepressant drug therapy at two managed care adult primary clinics. Nurses encouraged patients to stay on schedule with their medications and helped them to identify and schedule activities they enjoyed. Under the supervision of a clinical director and clinical psychologist, the nurses called patients one to two times during the first two weeks after they enrolled in the program. Then they followed up with one call per week during weeks three to eight, tapering off to one call every two weeks to week 16. But equally important was the offering of a sympathetic ear to patients who often feel isolated and overwhelmed and don't know what to do about it.
Patients often like the nurse telephone call.
They don't like schlepping in to their doctor's office if they can avoid it. Six weeks into their treatment, half of the patients who received Nurse Telecare experienced a 50 percent reduction in the Hamilton rating scale for depression, compared with 37 percent for patients receiving only the usual physician care. Telecare patients also reported greater satisfaction with their care. Much to the researchers' surprise, the results were not related to patients taking their medication more regularly, but were based more on the personal contact. We say to the patient, 'OK, you have this disease, it requires that you make certain changes.