Background e-Health tools using validated questionnaires to assess outcomes may facilitate measurement-based care for psychiatric disorders. MoodFX was created as a free online symptom tracker to support patients for outcome measurement in their depression treatment. We conducted a pilot randomized evaluation to examine its usability, and clinical utility.Methods Patients presenting with a major depressive episode (within a major depressive or bipolar disorder) were randomly assigned to receive either MoodFX or a health information website as the intervention and control condition, respectively, with follow-up assessment surveys conducted online at baseline, 8 weeks and 6 months. The primary usability outcomes included the percentage of patients with self-reported use of MoodFX 3 or more times during follow up (indicating minimally adequate usage) and usability measures based on the System Usability Scale (SUS). Secondary clinical outcomes included the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology, Self-Rated (QIDS-SR) and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9).Results Forty-nine participants were randomized (24 to MoodFX and 25 to the control condition). Of the 23 participants randomized to MoodFX who completed the user survey, 18 (78%) used MoodFX 3 or more times over the 6 months of the study. The mean SUS score of 72.7 (65th-69th percentile) represents good usability. Compared to the control group, the MoodFX group had significantly better improvement on QIDS-SR and PHQ-9 scores, with large effect sizes and higher response rates at 6 months. There were no differences between conditions on other secondary outcomes such as functioning and quality of life.Conclusion MoodFX demonstrated good usability and was associated with reduction in depressive symptoms. This pilot study supports the use of digital tools in depression treatment. E-health tools may be useful for measuring and tracking symptoms and other outcomes during treatment for depression. This study is a randomized evaluation of MoodFX, a free web-based app that helps patients track their symptoms using validated questionnaires, and also offers depression information and self-management tips. A total of 49 participants with clinical depression were randomized to using MoodFX or a health information website, for 6 months. In a survey, the participants that used MoodFX found it easy and useful to use. In addition, the participants that used MoodFX had greater improvement in depressive symptoms after 6 months, compared to those who used the health information website. These results suggest that MoodFX may be a useful tool to monitor outcomes and support depression treatment. Contexte Les outils de sante en ligne qui utilisent des questionnaires valides pour evaluer les resultats peuvent faciliter les soins bases sur la mesure (SBM) pour les troubles psychiatriques. MoodFX a ete cree a titre de suivi des symptomes en ligne gratuit pour soutenir la mesure des resultats des patients pour leur traitement de la depression. Nous avons mene une evaluation randomisee pilote pour en examiner l'utilisabilite et l'utilite clinique.Methodes Les patients presentant un episode depressif majeur (dans le cadre d'un trouble depressif majeur ou d'un trouble bipolaire) ont ete assignes au hasard a recevoir soit un MoodFX ou un site Web d'information de sante comme condition d'intervention et de controle, respectivement, avec des sondages d'evaluation de suivi menes en ligne a la base, apres 8 semaines et 6 mois. Les premiers resultats d'utilisabilite comportaient le pourcentage de patients ayant un usage auto-declare de MoodFix trois fois ou plus durant le suivi (indiquant un usage minimalement adequat) et des mesures d'utilisabilite basees sur l'echelle d'utilisabilite du systeme (EUS). Les resultats cliniques secondaires comprenaient l'Inventaire rapide de la symptomatologie depressive auto-declaree (QIDS-SR) et le questionnaire de sante du patient (PHQ-9).Resultats Quarante-neuf participants ont ete randomises (24 au MoodFX et 25 a la condition de controle). Sur les 23 participants randomises au MoodFX qui ont termine le sondage de l'utilisateur, 18 (78%) ont utilise MoodFX trois fois ou plus au cours des six mois de l'etude. Le score EUS moyen de 72,7 (65-69e percentile) represente une bonne utilisabilite. Compare au groupe temoin, le groupe MoodFX avait une amelioration significativement meilleure aux scores QIDS-SR et PHQ-9 avec de grandes tailles d'effet et plus de taux de reponses a 6 mois. Il n'y avait pas de differences entre les conditions aux autres resultats secondaires comme le fonctionnement et la qualite de vie.Conclusion MoodFX a demontre une bonne utilisabilite et etait associe a la reduction des symptomes depressifs. Cette etude pilote soutient l'usage des outils numeriques dans le traitement de la depression.
