During the last year we developed a low-intensity psycho-educational intervention delivered via a smartphone application for depressed people treated in general medical settings for their chronic disease. CONEMO is a 6-week intervention designed to reduce symptoms of depression. This application for smartphones will deliver messages related to depression and behavior activation three times per week. Nurse Assistants (NA) support will be provided to enhance adherence to behavioral activation activities. The NA is responsible for monitoring CONEMO app use and the participants performance via a web interface, providing information about using the app and technical support. The NA is also responsible for communicating the progress of the patient in the study to the supervisor and, if necessary, to the doctor/nurse responsible for the participant. Participants will be aware that their activity and progress are monitored by the nurse through a nurse web interface in the CONEMO system. During the pilot study, phone calls will be made by the NA congratulating adherence and offering suggestions during non-adherence.

We proposed three phases to develop the study:

Phase 1: Formative Research: To develop, design, and pilot test a psycho-educational intervention (CONEMO) delivered mostly via mobile smartphones and exploring barriers and facilitators to its implementation, as well as refining methodological aspects in preparation for the clinical trials.

Phase 2: Effectiveness Research: A cluster randomized effectiveness trial comparing usual care plus CONEMO to usual care alone, evaluating effects of the CONEMO program on clinical outcomes, health-related quality of life, and patients’ satisfaction with care and treatment costs.

Phase 3: Dissemination/Implementation: Development of effective strategies for disseminating CONEMO in Latin America and elsewhere.