JMIR
January 2026
Andrea Nederveld, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Director of Partners Engaged in Achieving Change in Health Network (PEACHnet) at the University of Colorado Anschutz, recently published the article “Patient and Care Team Perspectives of Barriers to and Facilitators for the Implementation of a Digital Health Program for Depression in Primary Care: Qualitative Study,” in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR Publications).
The study highlighted the high rate of depression in the U.S., where many patients rely on primary care for treatment. Due to gaps in care quality, challenges with team-based workflows, and limited data sharing, researchers tested a mobile health app paired with a care team web platform. This digital approach of a health app in primary care may improve medication adherence, speed medication adjustments, support goal setting, and strengthen communication between patients and their care teams.
From the article:
“Health care providers can play an integral role in patient initiation of use of a digital or mobile app. Digital health apps are acceptable to patients, easy to use, and potentially effective in supporting behavior change and self-management, particularly in improving depression and anxiety symptoms in various populations. However, there is a lack of standardization in evaluating health apps , and many behavioral health apps are not able to share data with clinical care teams. This pilot study examined a digital health program that included a patient-facing mobile app and care team web interface that support depression treatment and symptom management in relation to shared decision-making and goal setting in primary care practices. Here, we describe patient and care team participant perspectives regarding barriers to and facilitators for using the digital health program in their practices.”
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