Abstract
Problem: Depression is a common mental health disorder and is a leading cause of disability among adults worldwide. Symptoms of depression include feelings of sadness, loss of interest in activities normally enjoyed by an individual, disrupted sleeping and/or eating patterns, and, in worst-case scenarios, feelings of harm directed at self or others. The purpose of this project aimed to determine the impact of education on depression screening in the primary care setting.
Intervention: A workshop for clinic providers and nursing staff was conducted which provided education on the use and interpretation of results of the PHQ-9 depression screening tool. Participants in the workshop were provided with a copy of the screening tool and the corresponding result interpretation tool. These resources were explained in detail and supporting research-based evidence was discussed. The providers and nursing staff were encouraged to use the screening tool with all adult clinic patients for a minimum period of four weeks. Results were documented in the EMR where data could be collected for analysis.
Measures: The data-intensive electronic medical record reporting system was used to collect data for analysis including the number of patient visits and the number of PHQ-9 depression screenings completed.
Results: Prior to the educational workshop, 2.5% of adult patients seen in the clinic were screened for depression. Following the education, 4.73% of adult patients were screened. Thus, an overall increase in the number of PHQ-9 depression screenings was 89.20% was noted from pre- to post-intervention.
Conclusion: Findings suggest education of primary care providers and nursing staff increased the number of depression screenings completed in the primary care setting.
Sigma Membership
Theta Tau
Lead Author Affiliation
Nebraska Methodist College, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Type
DNP Capstone Project
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Quality Improvement
Research Approach
N/A
Keywords:
Depression, Screening Tool, PHQ-9
Advisor
Krumbach, Jillian
Degree
DNP
Degree Grantor
Nebraska Methodist College
Degree Year
2023
Recommended Citation
Louder, Denice M., "Depression screening in the primary care setting: A quality improvement project" (2024). Group: Nebraska Methodist College. 25.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/group_nmc/25
Rights Holder
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Review Type
Faculty Approved: Degree-based Submission
Acquisition
Self-submission
Full Text of Presentation
wf_yes
Description
This purpose of this quality improvement project was to determine if education for primary care providers would increase the utilization of the PHQ-9 depression screening tool on adult clinic patients in the primary care setting.