Patient electronic communication data in clinical care: what is known and what is needed

Abstract

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and physical distancing guidelines around the world have resulted in unprecedented changes to normal routine and increased smartphone use to maintain social relationships and support. Reports of depressive and anxiety symptom are on the rise, contributing to suffering among people—especially adolescents and young adults—with pre-existing mental health conditions. Psychiatric care has shifted primarily to telehealth limiting the important patient nonverbal communication that has been part of in-person clinical sessions. Supplementing clinical care with patient electronic communication (EC) data may provide valuable information and influence treatment decision making. Research in the impact of patient EC data on managing psychiatric symptoms is in its infancy. This review aims to identify how patient EC has been used in clinical care and its benefits in psychiatry and research. We discuss smartphone applications used to gather different types of EC data, how data have been integrated into clinical care, and implications for clinical care and research.

Keywords:

• Mood and anxiety disorders
• patient electronic communication
• clinical care
• symptom sharing
• digital biomarker
• coronavirus

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The work of Ms. Lhaksampa, Dr. Chisolm, and Dr. Miller is supported by the Once Upon A Time Foundation. Dr. Chisolm is the Director of the Paul McHugh Program for Human Flourishing, through which her work is also supported. Dr. Miller also receives grant support from Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) and the National Network of Depression Centers (NNDC). Ms. Nanavati has no conflicts of interest to declare.