Improved Screening for Depression in Patients Initiating Fertility Treatment.
Nurs Womens Health
; 28(3): 205-212, 2024 06.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38518809
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:
To improve screening for depression in patients who are initiating fertility treatment at a reproductive endocrinology and infertility (REI) center by screening all patients at their initial visit using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9).DESIGN:
This quality improvement project was conducted using a plan-do-study-act cycle implemented with a postintervention study design. SETTING/LOCALPROBLEM:
A medium-size REI center in a mid-Atlantic U.S. metropolitan area where screening for mental health status in patients initiating fertility treatments was not occurring.PARTICIPANTS:
Patients who were scheduled in person with REI providers for a new patient consult regarding fertility were declared eligible. INTERVENTION/MEASUREMENTS The PHQ-9 was administered by providers at initial consults for patients seeking fertility treatments from October 2022 to February 2023. Three cycles of the plan-do-study-act model were used to execute change. For all patients who scored 5 to 9 (mild depression), conversations regarding counseling referrals occurred. For all patients who scored ≥10 (moderate to severe depression), a referral for counseling and medication management was generated. Data were analyzed via descriptive statistics.RESULTS:
A total of 115 participants were included. A screening rate of 84.3% (n = 97) was achieved for patients initiating treatment. Of the 97 screened, 21 patients had a score of ≥5; 19 were given a referral for counseling. However, none of the patients attended a counseling session or started medication prescribed by their primary care provider during the 2-month follow-up period. Barriers identified included costs, personal preferences, and access to services.CONCLUSION:
The PHQ-9 screening tool was implemented at an REI clinic to improve the frequency of mental health screenings and provide necessary referrals. However, additional follow-up is needed to ensure patients are receiving appropriate mental health care.Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Mass Screening
/
Depression
/
Quality Improvement
Limits:
Adult
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Language:
En
Journal:
Nurs Womens Health
Journal subject:
ENFERMAGEM
/
OBSTETRICIA
/
PERINATOLOGIA
/
SAUDE DA MULHER
Year:
2024
Document type:
Article
Country of publication: