Implementing depression screening at annual and new patient visits in a rural primary care clinic: a quality improvement project

Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide, and depression complaints make up 10% of all primary care visits. The United States Preventative Task Force (USPTF) recommends a depression screening be provided for every adolescent and adult. The Patient Health Questionnaire 2 (PHQ-2) and The Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9) are the most utilized and validated screening tools and have demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity. The goal of this project was to increase the number of adults (ages 18+) that were screened for depression during annual and new patient visits at a rural, primary care clinic.