Using measurement strategies to identify and monitor residual symptoms.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a persistent, pervasive, and chronic disorder that significantly affects patients' functioning and quality of life. Most patients treated for MDD continue to have residual symptoms after acute treatment with pharmacotherapy. One of the most commonly encountered residual symptoms is cognitive dysfunction, which substantially affects patient outcomes. While antidepressant monotherapy is an effective first-line treatment for some patients with MDD, patients with residual symptoms (eg, cognitive dysfunction) will require an additional treatment intervention such as augmentation or switch to an alternative treatment strategy. Measurement-based care has been demonstrated to improve patient outcomes in MDD. The clinical importance of cognitive dysfunction in MDD invites the need to probe, screen, and measure the extent of cognitive impairment. © Copyright 2013 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.