Validation of computer‐administered clinical rating scale: <scp>H</scp>amilton <scp>D</scp>epression <scp>R</scp>ating <scp>S</scp>cale assessment with <scp>I</scp>nteractive <scp>V</scp>oice <scp>R</scp>esponse technology – <scp>J</scp>apanese version

<jats:sec><jats:title>Aim</jats:title><jats:p>The aim of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of the <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">I</jats:styled-content>nteractive <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">V</jats:styled-content>oice <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">R</jats:styled-content>esponse (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">IVR</jats:styled-content>) program to rate the 17‐item <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">H</jats:styled-content>amilton <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">R</jats:styled-content>ating <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">S</jats:styled-content>cale for <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">D</jats:styled-content>epression (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">HAM‐D</jats:styled-content>) score in <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">J</jats:styled-content>apanese depressive patients.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods</jats:title><jats:p>Depression severity was assessed in 60 patients by a clinician and psychologists using <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">HAM‐D</jats:styled-content>. Scoring by the <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">IVR</jats:styled-content> program was conducted on the same and the following days. Test–retest reliability, internal consistency, and concurrent validity for total <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">HAM‐D</jats:styled-content> scores were examined by calculating intraclass correlation coefficient, Cronbach's alpha, and <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">P</jats:styled-content>earson's correlation coefficient. Inter‐rater consistency for each <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">HAM‐D</jats:styled-content> item was examined by <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">C</jats:styled-content>ohen's kappa.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results</jats:title><jats:p>Test–retest reliability of the <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">IVR</jats:styled-content> program was high (intraclass correlation coefficient: 0.93). Internal consistency of each total score obtained by the clinician, psychologists, and <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">IVR</jats:styled-content> program was high (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">C</jats:styled-content>ronbach's alpha: 0.77, 0.79, 0.78, and 0.83). Regarding concurrent validity, correlation coefficients between total scores obtained by the clinician versus <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">IVR</jats:styled-content> and that by the clinician versus psychologists were high (0.81 and 0.93). The <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">HAM‐D</jats:styled-content> total score rated by the clinician was 3 points lower than that of <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">IVR</jats:styled-content>. Inter‐rater consistency for each <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">HAM‐D</jats:styled-content> item evaluated by the clinician versus <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">IVR</jats:styled-content> was estimated to be fair (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">C</jats:styled-content>ohen's kappa coefficient: 0.02–0.50).</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusion</jats:title><jats:p>Our results suggest that the <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">J</jats:styled-content>apanese <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">IVR HAM‐D</jats:styled-content> program is reliable and valid to assess 17‐item <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">HAM‐D</jats:styled-content> total score in Japanese depressive patients. However, the current program tends to overestimate depression severity, and the score of each item did not always show high agreement with clinician's rating, which warrants further improvement in the program.</jats:p></jats:sec>