Collaborative care and motivational interviewing: improving depression outcomes through patient empowerment interventions.

Patient empowerment interventions have demonstrated significant success in the treatment of several chronic conditions. Recently, 2 such interventions, collaborative care and motivational interviewing, have been employed in the treatment of depression with promise in the managed care setting. Collaborative care initiatives feature a multidisciplinary team of providers to deliver such services as patient education, thorough follow-up, and case management. Motivational interviewing employs specifically tailored dialogue to encourage patients to take an active role in their therapy. Through increased treatment adherence and improved outcomes, these interventions have the potential to decrease the significant overall healthcare costs associated with depression.