Purpose of Technology

Light therapy is used to improve the depressive symptoms of seasonal affective disorder in which light deprivation is believed to be the causal agent.

Questions addressed in this report include:

• Is light therapy effective in reducing or eliminating symptoms in patients with SAD, and how does it compare with other treatments used to reduce the symptoms of SAD?
• What parameters, such as timing of exposure, duration of exposure, light intensity, light spectra, and length of treatment period, are associated with optimal effect?
• Is light therapy safe?
• Have definitive patient selection criteria for the use of light therapy been established for the treatment of SAD?

These questions provide a framework for review and synthesis of the best available evidence, which is presented in this report, along with the Hayes Ratings for the technology. This report also provides background information about the condition being treated, a description of the technology, and the context for development of the technology. Other key elements addressed in the report include the regulatory status; applicable Medicare and commercial payer coverage policies; relevant ICD-9 and ICD-10 diagnosis codes; cost and cost effectiveness; credentialing; hospital length of stay; need for large case management; and ongoing and future clinical trials of the technology.

Posted in Directory Reports
This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 7th, 2010 at 12:00 pm.