Assessing the Feasibility of Using Telemedicine to Identify Depressive Symptomatology within the Long-Term Home Parenteral Nutrition Population

Abstract

Home Parenteral Nutrition (HPN), a common nutritional support therapy, corrects for nutrient imbalances caused by a malfunctioning gastrointestinal tract outside a medical in patient setting. Patients utilizing HPN face psychosocial challenges, particularly depression, that go undetected due to their confinement within a home environment and lack daily interactions with healthcare professionals. Telemedicine, as a mode of treatment, can assist healthcare professionals in the detection of depression. In the current study, raters coded 25 long-term HPN patients in facilitated group discussions with the modified Raskin scale (a 21-item observer rating scale) to assess the feasibility of utilizing a technology- supported platform to identify depressive symptomatology within a chronically ill population. Results showed the modified Raskin scale to have predictive but not concurrent validity. Thus, the modified Raskin scale showed promise as a tool for healthcare professionals, who wish to use telemedicine as a treatment avenue to detect and monitor depression amongst long-term HPN patients.