[E-Health in diagnosis and therapy of mental disorders : Will therapists soon become superfluous?]

Digital media, online programs, and electronic health systems are available and easily accessible for diagnostic, prevention, and intervention of somatic and psychiatric disorders. These modern tools can assess objective as well as subjective information about acute symptoms, wellbeing, life quality, sleep, physiological indicators, etc. Wearables and apps collect data over days and weeks in the real world of subjects. This information can be used to document baselines as well as changes over time influenced by events or interventions. Online treatment programs provide information for education about symptoms, course, origin, and treatment options of a disorder. They also support a patient's self-help via self-management, exercises, and techniques. We illustrate and discuss modern diagnostic and therapeutic eHealth options. We also review the empirical evidence for online interventions and refer to typical examples. Most studies have been conducted with subjects suffering from depression and anxiety. Electronic health systems do not work just by recommending a program or providing access to an online platform. Patients need to be motivated to lock in and work with a program. They need support and guidance through online programs. Therefore, we claim that therapists need to become experts in digital media and electronic health systems to support patients and to integrate apps and online programs into their treatment.