Antidepressant prescribing patterns in the nursing home: second-generation issues revisited

The object of this study was to provide an updated evaluation of the quality of antidepressant management and prescribing patterns in nursing homes in the context of organizational and resident factors.

Pearson correlation and chi-square analyses were conducted using information gathered from random nursing home charts.

Nursing home facilities in and around the Louisville, KY, metropolitan area (n = 10).

Chart reviews were randomly chosen for 20% of long term care resident records in participating homes (n = 209).

Demographic information, documentation of depression diagnoses, and antidepressant prescribing patterns were evaluated using the Quality of Depression Management and Antidepressant Prescribing rating scale and information found in the Minimum Data Set 2.0.

Of the sample, 59.8% was prescribed antidepressants at the time of the chart review; 205 chart reviews indicated the absence or presence of a depression diagnosis. For those with documented depression diagnoses (n = 126), nearly one-quarter were not prescribed antidepressants. Of 79 chart reviews indicating no depression diagnosis, nearly a third were receiving an antidepressant. Documentation related to changes in dosing, the presence or absence of side effects, or reasons for continuation were suboptimal.

Discrepancy between antidepressant prescribing and the presence/absence of depression diagnoses continue to exist for nursing home residents. The quality of antidepressant documentation in nursing home charts continues to be inadequate. Future research should aim to explore possible solutions to these discrepancies and deficiencies in documentation.