Pilot study of the adjunct utility of a computer-assisted Diagnostic Interview Schedule (C-DIS) in forensic psychiatric patients.

To assess the potential usefulness of a structured and computer-assisted diagnostic interview under field conditions, menu-driven interviews with 18 of 20 probands undergoing forensic psychiatric examination were scored into axis I DSM-III diagnoses, independent of the regularly derived ICD-9 diagnoses. The computer-assisted interview yielded more affective and anxiety disorders than routine clinical procedures, many of which were amenable to treatment. The computer interview was acceptable to the probands. Controlled studies are suggested to assess the benefits of computer-assisted diagnosis in addition to traditional diagnostic procedures in forensic psychiatric patients.