THE ENHANCEMENT OF DEPRESSION SCREENING WITHIN THE PRIMARY CARE SETTING: UTILIZING PATIENT SELF-SCREENING

Depression is a prevalent mental health condition that is frequently encountered in theprimary care setting, yet screening and early identification remain inconsistent due to timeconstraints, workflow challenges, and patient reluctance to disclose sensitive information. Thepurpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) quality improvement project was to enhancedepression screening practices within a primary care clinic by implementing patient self-completed Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) screening forms. The project was conductedat Thomasville Family Practice and utilized the Iowa Model of Evidence-Based Practice to guideimplementation. Over an eight-week period, patients were provided with PHQ-9 screening formsat check-in to complete independently prior to their clinical encounter. Data were collectedthrough electronic health record (EHR) quality metrics, Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles, stafffeedback, and post-implementation surveys. Results demonstrated an improvement in depression screening completion rates,increasing from a baseline of 93% prior to implementation to approximately 95.7–95.8% duringthe implementation period. Additional operational improvements were observed, includingreductions in average patient wait time following check-in from 10 minutes to 8 minutes andreductions in provider wait time from 5 minutes to 4 minutes. Survey results indicated strongsupport from both providers and clinic staff, with participants reporting improved workflow efficiency, increased patient comfort with independent screening, and confidence in the accuracyof patient-reported responses. Overall, the findings suggest that patient self-completed PHQ-9 screening is a feasibleand effective strategy for improving depression screening compliance and enhancing clinicworkflow efficiency in the primary care setting. Continued implementation of patient self-completed depression screening may support adherence to evidence-based mental healthscreening guidelines while promoting patient engagement and efficient clinical operations.