JAMA: 2008-11-12, Vol. 300, No. 18, Author in the Room™ Audio Interview

Interview with Brett D. Thombs, PhD, and Roy Ziegelstein, MD, authors of Depression Screening for Patients with Cardiovascular Disease. Summary Points: 1. Depression is a common and serious condition in patients with heart disease; therefore health care workers should inquire about symptoms of depression in their heart disease patients. 2. Our recent systematic review shows that there is not sufficient evidence at this time to call for routine screening for depression in patients with heart disease. 3. Additional research is needed to determine the optimal model(s) of care that will allow depression to be appropriately diagnosed and treated in patients with heart disease, particularly at times when these patients are being cared for primarily by heart disease experts rather than by experts in depression diagnosis and treatment.