More Accessible Treatment for Patients with Depression

Screening for depression and suicide risk improves the likelihood that patients are diagnosed and treated appropriately. UNC Health Care increased its depression screening rates more than nine-fold to 76% over a four-year period after incorporating screening workflows into primary care visits. Over a two-year period, 33% more patients received treatment for depression.

When a patient is seen for a primary care visit, clinicians are notified in Epic if the patient either hasn’t received depression screening in the previous year or has a diagnosis of depression but hasn’t been screened recently. The notification provides a link to the appropriate PHQ-2 or PHQ-9 questionnaire, so the clinician and patient can discuss the patient’s symptoms during the visit.

Based on that discussion, the system might suggest additional depression screening, recommend assessing suicide risk, or inform the provider that treatment is necessary.

UNC Health Care received a 2018 HIMSS Davies Enterprise Award in part for their depression screening and treatment initiative. Other Epic community members have also made strides in depression screening, such as Parkland Health & Hospital System, which implemented a universal assessment program.