Education to Improve Treatment-Resistant Depression Diagnosis in the Outpatient Behavioral Health Setting

Abstract: Treatment-resistant depression can be difficult to identify in the outpatient behavioral health setting due to a lack of clear diagnostic guidelines. The evidence-based improvement project examines current practices in the diagnosis of treatment-resistant depression in the outpatient behavioral health setting. Data collection on current practices was conducted through a chart review of psychiatric evaluations for patients prescribed antidepressant monotherapy during their initial psychiatric evaluation and a direct survey of clinicians. Clinician participation in the survey was voluntary and included any medication-prescribing clinician working in the outpatient behavioral health clinic. Analysis of this data was used to create an educational offering for clinicians in the outpatient setting regarding the diagnosis and treatment of treatment-resistant depression. After delivering the educational offering by brochure, new patient charts were evaluated at the three-month mark to determine if there was a difference in the identification and treatment of treatment-resistant depression before and after the initial chart review and intervention. Accurate diagnosis of treatment-resistant depression was found to have missed opportunities for precise diagnosis in 29.6% of charts reviewed during the initial audit. Increased accuracy in the diagnosis of TRD is expected in the second chart audit for months 3-6.Short Description: The poster will document and describe the above-stated evidence-based quality improvement project. The EBQI will be completed by that time and all related data will be available for review. The project is focused on increasing the accurate diagnosis of TRD by evaluating current practice and providing a focused educational intervention to improve diagnosis in the future.Name of Sponsoring Organization(s):