A Project to Improve Postpartum Depression Screening Practices Among Providers in a Community Women's Health Care Clinic

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this project was to improve health care providers' postpartum depression (PPD) knowledge and screening practices with the implementation of a standardized screening tool.

Design: The plan-do-study-act model was used as a framework to measure and implement a practice change aimed at universal screening for PPD.

Setting/local problem: Health care providers' screening practices for PPD were inconsistent and lacked use of a standardized screening tool at a southwestern U.S. community women's health care clinic serving minority women of lower socioeconomic status.

Participants: Health care providers at a community women's health care clinic.

Intervention/measurements: A single educational in-service was presented to health care providers regarding preventive PPD screening practices and documentation recommendations. Measurements included pre- and post-education questionnaire results and electronic health record chart reviews.

Results: PPD screening documentation rates increased from 56% to 92.7% (p < .5).

Conclusion: PPD screening education for health care providers and the addition of EPDS criteria to the electronic health record were associated with increased screening rates for PPD at a community women's health care clinic.

Keywords: Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale; community; education; intervention; postpartum depression; screening.