Improving Depression Screening in a Specialty Clinic
Author Information
Author(s): Muacevic Alexander, Adler John R, Brueggemann Alvina D, Harper Peter G, Boyer Holly, Fjestad Shannon, Burmeister Lynn A
Primary Institution: M Health Fairview, Minneapolis, USA
Hypothesis
Can a team-based care workflow improve depression screening rates in a specialty clinic before and during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Conclusion
A team-based care approach can successfully improve and maintain depression screening in a specialty clinic, even adapting to virtual visits during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Supporting Evidence
- Depression screening rates improved from 1.4% pre-intervention to 58.2% post-intervention.
- Screening rates dropped to 3.5% during COVID-19 but rose to 64% in the recovery phase.
- The study utilized Lean Six Sigma methodology to enhance the screening process.
- Team-based care allowed for effective adaptation to virtual visits during the pandemic.
Takeaway
This study shows that working together as a team can help doctors find and help more people with depression, even when they have to see patients online instead of in person.
Methodology
A quality improvement project using Lean Six Sigma methods was implemented, involving plan-do-study-act cycles and the development of educational materials and EMR tools.
Limitations
The study does not address the clinical outcomes of depression screening and has limited data on follow-up for positive screens.
Participant Demographics
The study was conducted in an endocrine specialty clinic with a diverse patient population, seeing over 9000 patients annually.
Statistical Information
P-Value
<0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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