title: Email reminders as a self-management tool in depression: a needs assessment to determine patients' interests and preferences.
abstract: We conducted a needs assessment to ascertain patients' interests and preferences for using email reminders ('E-minders') to assist in the self-management of their depression. The E-minders would help patients achieve remission by reminding them of their personal strategies for self-management and their personalized sources of support. Once patients had achieved remission, E-minders would be used to remind them of their original symptoms of depression so that they could monitor for recurrence. Results from a focus group with eight patients suggested that patients would be interested in using E-minders. However, they should not be used to replace aspects of treatment but rather to supplement existing depression treatment regimens.
authors.affiliation: School of Social Work, University of Michigan, 1080 South University Avenue, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1106, USA. daphnew@umich.edu
authors.forename: Daphne C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Watkins
authors.forename: Lisa C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kerber
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kuebler
authors.forename: Joseph A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Himle
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003863:Depression / Q000628:therapy*; D034742:Electronic Mail / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment / Q000458:organization & administration; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D057240:Patient Preference; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012648:Self Care / Q000295:instrumentation*; D014584:User-Computer Interface