Chih-Ting “Tim” Lai
Leveraging Real-World Data and Patient Preferences for More Effective Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder
Summary
Many people with major depressive disorder do not fully recover after their first treatment and continue to experience symptoms. If these symptoms are not treated effectively, they can get worse over time. That is why it is important to identify, as early as possible, which patients may not respond to initial treatment and may need different or more advanced care. Unfortunately, there is not enough research to clearly guide what treatments should come next, making it hard for clinical practitioners to create personalized care plans. In this study, I will first determine which follow-up treatment approaches work best by examining real-world data from claims and self-reported questionnaires. I will survey patients to figure out which treatment approaches they prefer. I will also develop a tool to help identify patients who are at higher risk of not responding to their first-line treatment. These findings will help health care providers offer more effective and patient-centered care.
PhF awardees (from left) Surachat Ngorsuraches and Tim Lai
I am truly excited and grateful to receive this recognition. The PhRMA Foundation award enables me to focus entirely on my dissertation research, where I aim to generate meaningful, evidence-based insights that prioritize patient needs.