How efficient is a screener? A comparison of the PRIME‐MD patient questionnaire with the SDDS‐PC screen

Brief structured interviews have been developed to facilitate the recognition of psychiatric conditions by primary care physicians. The efficiency of two of these interviews (the PRIME‐MD and the SDDS‐PC) is examined in this paper. The operating characteristics of the patient questionnaires of the PRIME‐MD and of the SDDS‐PC are compared using independent diagnoses made with the SCID as a criterion standard. According to the main validation studies published for the two questionnaires the sensitivity and the specificity for mood and anxiety disorders are generally good but the positive predictive value remains low. Compared to existing questionnaires, PRIME‐MD and SDDS‐PC screens have better sensitivity and offer the possibility of screening simultaneously for multiple mental disorders. Nevertheless there is a risk of false positive outcomes.