Enhancing Provider Mental Health Screening in Primary Care: A Quality Improvement Project

Area of Science:

• Primary care quality improvement
• Mental health screening techniques
• Evidence-based practice in nursing

Background:

• Depression and anxiety affect a significant portion of the US population, with many cases diagnosed in primary care settings.
• Effective screening and diagnosis of mental health conditions are crucial in primary care.
• Current screening methods may have limitations in identifying all patients with anxiety and/or depression.

Purpose of the Study:

• To enhance the screening and diagnosis of anxiety and/or depression in adult primary care patients.
• To implement and evaluate an evidence-based mental health screening interview technique.
• To assess the impact of the new technique on provider perceptions and diagnostic documentation.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a structured mental health screening interview incorporating background, affect, trouble, handling, empathy, and motivational interviewing.
• Inclusion of self-report surveys alongside the interview technique.
• Collection of pre- and post-intervention provider perception surveys and ICD-10 diagnostic data.

Main Results:

• A decrease of 18% in single-episode major depressive disorder diagnoses and an increase of 34% in recurrent major depressive disorder diagnoses.
• A 3% increase in anxiety disorder diagnoses.
• More favorable provider perceptions of the new screening interview technique compared to traditional methods.

Conclusions:

• The evidence-based mental health screening interview technique improved provider comfort and was preferred by providers.
• Structured mental health interviews combined with self-report tools show potential benefits for diagnosing anxiety and depression in primary care.
• This approach can enhance the quality of mental healthcare delivered in primary care settings.