# Patient Outcomes Reporting for Timely Assessments of Life with Depression: PORTAL-Depression

> **NIH AHRQ U18** · UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO · 2020 · $393,513

## Abstract

PROJECT ABSTRACT
In the last decade, there has been expansion of both health information technology by healthcare systems and
internet use by patients. This simultaneous growth provides a unique opportunity for healthcare systems to
collect patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and integrate PROs into clinical care by using patient portals. Patient
portals are secure websites that give patients access to their health information via a web connection. Early
studies have found that patients who use portals have higher levels of satisfaction and engagement. To date,
however, portals have not been used proactively by healthcare systems to systematically collect PROs.
Population-wide proactive collection of PROs would be valuable for identifying and managing patients with
depression. In primary care, major depressive disorder (MDD) is highly prevalent and is associated with
reduced quality of life and suicide. However, only 50% of patients in primary care receive recommended
annual screening, and only 50% of patients with MDD are treated adequately. Systematic measurement of
MDD symptoms can lead to increased treatment and greater rates of remission; however, many providers do
not routinely measure symptoms. The Computerized Adaptive Test for Mental Health (CAT-MH) is a recent
innovation in depression symptom measurement that could allow for efficient assessments. The CAT-MH is a
validated test that uses algorithms in real-time to ask the most diagnostically informative questions and
assesses mental health symptoms, including depression. In general, CATs could be ideal for engaging patients
in providing PROs because these tests are both very precise and very brief; however, to date, few CATs have
been integrated into EHRs. This study's goals are to integrate the CAT-MH into an EHR for a healthcare
system and evaluate the effectiveness of collecting depression symptoms via a patient portal (MyChart) vs.
usual collection during clinic visits in two randomized controlled trials. In Aim 1, among primary care patients
who are due for depression screening, we will determine whether MyChart CAT-MH depression screening
(population-based care) increases the number of screenings, compared to usual care. In Aim 2, among
primary care patients with active MDD, we will determine whether patients who receive MyChart depression
measurement (measurement-based care) have higher rates of MDD remission, compared to patients who
receive usual care. With these aims, this grant will provide essential information on the barriers and solutions
to integrating adaptive tests for PROs into EHRs, as well as evidence for the capability of patient portals for
providing proactive population-based patient-reported outcome measurement.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9933039
- **Project number:** 5U18HS026151-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
- **Principal Investigator:** Neda Laiteerapong
- **Activity code:** U18 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** AHRQ
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $393,513
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-08-01 → 2021-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9933039

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9933039, Patient Outcomes Reporting for Timely Assessments of Life with Depression: PORTAL-Depression (5U18HS026151-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-09-05 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9933039. Licensed CC0.

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