Document Type
DNP Project
Publication Date
4-16-2024
Degree Name
Doctor of Nursing Practice
Faculty Advisor
Susan Penque, PhD, ANP-BC, NE-BC
Practice Mentor
Heather Humphrey, APRN-PMHNP
Abstract
The objective of this project was to implement the Patient Health Questionaire-9 (PHQ-9) tool as a standardized protocol for depression screening on patients being treated at an outpatient mental health facility in Central Connecticut, where there was no depression screening protocol in place. The clinical question being asked was, is there any correlation between use of the PHQ-9 tool and changes being made to a patient’s depression treatment plan?
Methods: A data collection form was completed by the psychiatric nurse practitioner on each patient who met the following criteria: Depression and/or anxiety was the patient’s primary diagnosis and patient was age 18 or older. The following data was collected on the data collection form: PHQ-9 tool completion, pre-appointment treatment, and post-appointment treatment. No patient identifiers were ever collected in this study.
Results: Of the 39 data collection forms completed by the practice site’s psychiatric nurse practitioner, there was an 87% (n=34) patient compliance in completion of the PHQ-9 tool. Of the 34 patients who completed the PHQ-9 tool, 88% (n=30) showed a change was made to their treatment plan during that office visit.
Conclusion: This study concluded a positive correlation between use of the PHQ-9 tool and changes being initiated to a patient’s plan of treatment. Literature review supports the validity and reliability of the PHQ-9 depression screening tool. Implementing the PHQ-9 tool as a standardized practice in screening patients for depression and in monitoring depression treatment outcomes should be considered as an ongoing quality improvement initiative at this practice site.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Laferriere, G. (2024). Implementing the PHQ-9 tool to as a standard of practice in a mental health setting: A quality improvement project [Unpublished DNP project]. Sacred Heart University.
Comments
A DNP project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Nursing Practice, Sacred Heart University Davis & Henley College of Nursing.