Depression Screening and Measurement-Based Care in Primary Care

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Mental Health Care
• Quality Improvement

Background:

• Depression is a prevalent mental health disorder in US adults, necessitating universal screening and treatment.
• The US Preventive Services Task Force recommends depression screening in primary care settings.
• An unmet need exists for effective depression identification and management protocols in adult primary care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement and evaluate the VitalSign6 measurement-based care program for improving depression screening and treatment in adult primary care.
• To assess the impact of VitalSign6 on screening rates, patient outcomes, and satisfaction.
• To enhance the management of depression within an academic medical center's primary care setting.

Main Methods:

• A pre-post design quality improvement project was conducted at an academic medical center.
• The VitalSign6 program was implemented to standardize depression screening and measurement-based care.
• Data were collected on screening rates, diagnosis, follow-up, and self-reported depression scores.

Main Results:

• 95.4% of 1200 adult patients received initial depression screening.
• 236 patients were diagnosed and received measurement-based care.
• A statistically significant decrease in self-reported depression scores was observed from baseline to follow-up after 14 weeks.

Conclusions:

• The VitalSign6 program demonstrated effectiveness in improving the identification and management of depression in primary care.
• Measurement-based care is a valuable approach for enhancing depression care in adult primary care settings.
• Implementing standardized protocols like VitalSign6 can lead to better patient outcomes for depression.