Depression Screening in an Academic Family Practice.

Area of Science:

• Primary Care Medicine
• Mental Health Services
• Health Systems Research

Background:

• Depression screening in primary care is effective but faces challenges in care availability and patient engagement.
• Provider initiation is often crucial for patient follow-up in depression treatment.
• This study evaluated a depression screening program within an academic family practice setting.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effectiveness of a depression screening program in an academic family practice.
• To identify factors influencing patient engagement and follow-up after positive depression screens.

Main Methods:

• A depression screening program was implemented in an academic family practice.
• Data collected included screening rates, positive screen rates, and whether results were addressed.
• Patient follow-up rates were compared based on whether their screening results were addressed and depression severity.

Main Results:

• Depression screening was conducted in 98.4% of adult encounters (n=3,341).
• 7.3% of patients screened positive for depression without presenting for mood issues.
• Only 33.7% of positive screens were addressed, but these patients were twice as likely to follow up (34.1% vs. 17.4%).
• Patients with severe depression showed higher follow-up rates (53%) than those with mild depression (15%).

Conclusions:

• Depression screening can be integrated efficiently into primary care.
• Engaging both providers and patients in diagnosis and treatment presents ongoing challenges.
• A systems-based approach with immediate treatment access is recommended for effective depression screening implementation.