Impact of the QOF and the NICE guideline in the diagnosis and management of depression: a qualitative study

Patient-reported outcome measures in value-based healthcare: A multiple methods study to assess patient-centredness

OBJECTIVES

Value-based healthcare (VBHC) involves the use of standardised outcome measures, including patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). This study aimed to assess to what extent discussion of PROMs is associated with patient- and person-centredness.

METHODS

This study used a separate sample pre-/post-test design and multiple methods (observations, questionnaires, and interviews) in a VBHC care pathway for patients with a vestibular schwannoma, to assess to what extent the implementation of PROMs is associated with a difference in patient- and person-centredness.

RESULTS

A total of 139 patients with a vestibular schwannoma and their four treating physicians were included in the study. No significant differences were found in observed patient-centredness (Mpre=6.71 ± 2.42 vs. Mpost=6.93 ± 2.01; P = 0.60) or patient-reported patient-centredness (Mpre=1.73 vs. Mpost=1.68; P = 0.63) and person-centredness after PROM implementation (Mpre=11.81 vs. Mpost=13.42; P = 0.34). We observed more discussion of patient-reported outcomes. However, a majority of patients did not expect PRO discussion in consultations.

CONCLUSIONS

The implementation of standardised PROMs in a VBHC care pathway was associated with more discussion on patient-reported outcomes in clinical consultations. Overall, the implementation of PROMs was not observed or perceived as leading to more patient-centred consultations.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Physicians should assess whether the discussion of PROMs add value collaboratively with patients.

Patient-reported outcome measures for monitoring primary care patients with depression: the PROMDEP cluster RCT and economic evaluation

Background

Guidelines on the management of depression recommend that practitioners use patient-reported outcome measures for the follow-up monitoring of symptoms, but there is a lack of evidence of benefit in terms of patient outcomes.

Objective

To test using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 questionnaire as a patient-reported outcome measure for monitoring depression, training practitioners in interpreting scores and giving patients feedback.

Design

Parallel-group, cluster-randomised superiority trial; 1 : 1 allocation to intervention and control.

Setting

UK primary care (141 group general practices in England and Wales).

Inclusion criteria

Patients aged ≥ 18 years with a new episode of depressive disorder or symptoms, recruited mainly through medical record searches, plus opportunistically in consultations.

Exclusions

Current depression treatment, dementia, psychosis, substance misuse and risk of suicide.

Intervention

Administration of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 questionnaire with patient feedback soon after diagnosis, and at follow-up 10-35 days later, compared with usual care.

Primary outcome

Beck Depression Inventory, 2nd edition, symptom scores at 12 weeks.

Secondary outcomes

Beck Depression Inventory, 2nd edition, scores at 26 weeks; antidepressant drug treatment and mental health service contacts; social functioning (Work and Social Adjustment Scale) and quality of life (EuroQol 5-Dimension, five-level) at 12 and 26 weeks; service use over 26 weeks to calculate NHS costs; patient satisfaction at 26 weeks (Medical Informant Satisfaction Scale); and adverse events.

Sample size

The original target sample of 676 patients recruited was reduced to 554 due to finding a significant correlation between baseline and follow-up values for the primary outcome measure.

Randomisation

Remote computerised randomisation with minimisation by recruiting university, small/large practice and urban/rural location.

Blinding

Blinding of participants was impossible given the open cluster design, but self-report outcome measures prevented observer bias. Analysis was blind to allocation.

Analysis

Linear mixed models were used, adjusted for baseline depression, baseline anxiety, sociodemographic factors, and clustering including practice as random effect. Quality of life and costs were analysed over 26 weeks.

Qualitative interviews

Practitioner and patient interviews were conducted to reflect on trial processes and use of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 using the Normalization Process Theory framework.

Results

Three hundred and two patients were recruited in intervention arm practices and 227 patients were recruited in control practices. Primary outcome data were collected for 252 (83.4%) and 195 (85.9%), respectively. No significant difference in Beck Depression Inventory, 2nd edition, score was found at 12 weeks (adjusted mean difference -0.46, 95% confidence interval -2.16 to 1.26). Nor were significant differences found in Beck Depression Inventory, 2nd Edition, score at 26 weeks, social functioning, patient satisfaction or adverse events. EuroQol-5 Dimensions, five-level version, quality-of-life scores favoured the intervention arm at 26 weeks (adjusted mean difference 0.053, 95% confidence interval 0.013 to 0.093). However, quality-adjusted life-years over 26 weeks were not significantly greater (difference 0.0013, 95% confidence interval -0.0157 to 0.0182). Costs were lower in the intervention arm but, again, not significantly (-£163, 95% confidence interval -£349 to £28). Cost-effectiveness and cost-utility analyses, therefore, suggested that the intervention was dominant over usual care, but with considerable uncertainty around the point estimates. Patients valued using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 to compare scores at baseline and follow-up, whereas practitioner views were more mixed, with some considering it too time-consuming.

Conclusions

We found no evidence of improved depression management or outcome at 12 weeks from using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, but patients' quality of life was better at 26 weeks, perhaps because feedback of Patient Health Questionnaire-9 scores increased their awareness of improvement in their depression and reduced their anxiety. Further research in primary care should evaluate patient-reported outcome measures including anxiety symptoms, administered remotely, with algorithms delivering clear recommendations for changes in treatment.

Study registration

This study is registered as IRAS250225 and ISRCTN17299295.

Funding

This award was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme (NIHR award ref: 17/42/02) and is published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 28, No. 17. See the NIHR Funding and Awards website for further award information.

Enhancement of Preoperative Mental Health Assessment Through Clinical Nurse Specialist Project Leadership

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES

The aim of the project was to discern whether a collaborative, consultative-rich, clinical nurse specialist-led project could increase completion rates of a patient health questionnaire for depression and a generalized anxiety disorder questionnaire with appropriate referrals in adult patients in the ambulatory and hospital settings of a robust cardiovascular surgery practice before cardiovascular surgery.

DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT

The Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control implementation methodology guided this quality improvement project. The workflow was analyzed in collaboration with stakeholders, and barriers to and facilitators of questionnaire completion were identified. Interpreter services partnerships were enhanced and used for patients with a preferred language other than English. Weekly data analysis assessed ongoing questionnaire completion rates.

OUTCOME

Documented completion rates of questionnaires improved across ambulatory and hospital settings by 15%. Patients with a preferred language other than English had an 80-percentage-point increase in documented questionnaire completion.

CONCLUSION

Clinical nurse specialists are poised to lead projects because of their use of the collaborative and consultative core competencies. A formal electronic health record report was established for monitoring outcomes. Embedding questionnaire administration within the standard workflow of ambulatory and hospital staff makes administering questionnaires preoperatively a sustainable practice in both settings.

Replicability and reproducibility of predictive models for diagnosis of depression among young adults using Electronic Health Records

BACKGROUND

Recent advances in machine learning combined with the growing availability of digitized health records offer new opportunities for improving early diagnosis of depression. An emerging body of research shows that Electronic Health Records can be used to accurately predict cases of depression on the basis of individual's primary care records. The successes of these studies are undeniable, but there is a growing concern that their results may not be replicable, which could cast doubt on their clinical usefulness.

METHODS

To address this issue in the present paper, we set out to reproduce and replicate the work by Nichols et al. (2018), who trained predictive models of depression among young adults using Electronic Healthcare Records. Our contribution consists of three parts. First, we attempt to replicate the methodology used by the original authors, acquiring a more up-to-date set of primary health care records to the same specification and reproducing their data processing and analysis. Second, we test models presented in the original paper on our own data, thus providing out-of-sample prediction of the predictive models. Third, we extend past work by considering several novel machine-learning approaches in an attempt to improve the predictive accuracy achieved in the original work.

RESULTS

In summary, our results demonstrate that the work of Nichols et al. is largely reproducible and replicable. This was the case both for the replication of the original model and the out-of-sample replication applying NRCBM coefficients to our new EHRs data. Although alternative predictive models did not improve model performance over standard logistic regression, our results indicate that stepwise variable selection is not stable even in the case of large data sets.

CONCLUSION

We discuss the challenges associated with the research on mental health and Electronic Health Records, including the need to produce interpretable and robust models. We demonstrated some potential issues associated with the reliance on EHRs, including changes in the regulations and guidelines (such as the QOF guidelines in the UK) and reliance on visits to GP as a predictor of specific disorders.

Anxiety and Depression in People with Eczema or Psoriasis: A Comparison of Associations in UK Biobank and Linked Primary Care Data

Introduction

Previous research has shown associations between eczema and psoriasis and anxiety and depression. We investigated whether associations are consistent across different settings of ascertainment for depression and anxiety, including interview and survey responses from UK Biobank (a large longitudinal cohort recruiting individuals aged 40-69 years between 2006-2010), and linked primary care data, with the aim of drawing more reliable conclusions through triangulation.

Methods

In cross-sectional studies, we estimated associations between eczema or psoriasis and anxiety or depression, defining anxiety or depression as 1) self-reported previous diagnosis at UK Biobank recruitment interview; 2) PHQ-9/GAD-7 score indicating depression or anxiety from a UK Biobank mental health follow-up survey in 2016; and 3) diagnosis in linked primary care electronic health record data.

Results

We analysed 230,047 people with linked Biobank and primary care data. We found poor agreement between the data sources for eczema, psoriasis, anxiety, and depression. Eg, 9474 had a previous eczema diagnosis in primary care data, 4069 self-reported previous eczema diagnosis at the UK biobank interview, and 1536 had eczema in both data sources (for depression 40,455; 13,320; and 9588 respectively). Having eczema or psoriasis (recorded in primary care or baseline interview) was associated with higher odds of anxiety and depression. Eg, the adjusted odds ratio for depression comparing those with eczema to those without was greater than 1 when defining the outcome from 1) the recruitment interview (1.36, 95% confidence interval 1.27-1.45); 2) the follow-up survey (1.24, 1.09-1.39), and 3) primary care records (1.56, 1.50-1.62).

Discussion

Our findings support increased prevalence of mental illness in people with psoriasis and eczema across multiple data sources, which should be considered in planning of mental health services. However, we found poor agreement in disease ascertainment between settings, with implications for data interpretation in electronic health records.

Protocol for a realist and social return on investment evaluation of the use of patient-reported outcomes in four value-based healthcare programmes

INTRODUCTION

There is growing recognition that in order to remain sustainable, the UK's National Health Service must deliver the best patient outcomes within available resources. This focus on outcomes relative to cost is the basis of value-based healthcare (VBHC) and has led to interest in the recording of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) to measure patient perspectives on the impact of a health condition on their lives. Every health board in Wales is now required to collect PROMS as part of routine care. We will evaluate the VBHC programme implemented in a lead health board. The study aim is to understand what works about PROMs collection, for whom, in what contexts and why in a VBHC context. In addition, we will assess the social value of integrating PROMs collection into routine care.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

A three-stage mixed-methods study comprising a realist evaluation integrated with social return on investment (SROI) analysis across four conditions; Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, heart failure and cataract surgery. Workstream 1: Development of logic models, informed by a scoping review, documentary analysis, patient and public involvement (PPI), staff and key stakeholder engagement. Workstream 2: Realist evaluation building on multiple data sources from stages 1 to 3 to test and refine the programme theories that arise from the logic model development. Workstream 3: SROI analysis using interview data with patients, staff and carers, stakeholder and PPI engagement, anonymised routinely collected data, and questionnaires to populate a model that will explore the social value generated by the implementation of PROMs. Findings across stages will be validated with key stakeholders.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The study is approved by Wales Research Ethics Committee #5 (22/WA/0044). Outcomes will be shared with key stakeholders, published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at national and international conferences.This is an open access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) licence, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build on this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited, appropriate credit is given, any changes made indicated, and the use is non-commercial.

Barriers and enablers to screening and diagnosing diabetes distress and depression in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A qualitative evidence synthesis

AIM

Synthesise qualitative evidence of healthcare professionals' (HCP) experiences of diabetes distress and depression screening in people with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in primary care to identify HCP barriers and enablers to screening implementation.

METHODS

Searched six electronic databases in October 2020 for qualitative studies exploring HCPs' experiences of diabetes distress and depression screening in T2DM populations. Applying a best-fit framework synthesis, data were coded to the theoretical domains framework (TDF), followed by thematic analysis of data that did not fit the TDF. Study quality and confidence in findings were assessed using CASP and GRADE-CERQual respectively.

FINDINGS

Of 4942 unique records identified, 10 articles were included. We identified fifteen barriers and enablers in 8 TDF domains and 1 new domain; people with T2DM factors. One barrier (poor awareness about the rationale for screening) and 2 enablers (perceived impacts on T2DM care, receiving financial reimbursement) were assessed as findings of high confidence.

CONCLUSION

HCPs experience many barriers and enablers to diabetes distress and depression screening among people with T2DM in primary care. Future interventions and policies should ensure HCPs understand the rationale for screening, highlight the benefits of screening, resource screening appropriately and address HCP group specific barriers.

Perceived benefits and limitations of using patient-reported outcome measures in clinical practice with individual patients: a systematic review of qualitative studies

PURPOSE

Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are increasingly used in clinical settings to inform individual patient care. In-depth understanding of end-users' experiences may help identify factors that promote or hinder their use in clinical decision-making. We aimed to examine stakeholder perceptions of the utility of using PROMs in clinical practice based on real-life experience.

METHODS

Systematic review searching Medline, Embase and PsychINFO from inception to May 2021. Qualitative studies examining patients' and/or clinicians' experiences of using PROMs in clinical settings were included. Study screening and data extraction were performed by two independent reviewers. Qualitative data from included studies was analysed thematically.

RESULTS

Of 2388 abstracts retrieved, 52 articles reporting 50 studies met eligibility. Five key benefits were identified: (1) promotes active patient involvement (enables goal setting and discussion of sensitive topics); (2) enhances the focus of consultations (prioritizes patient needs); (3) improves quality of care (enables tailored, holistic care and prompts action); (4) enables standardized monitoring of patient outcomes; and (5) enhances the patient-clinician relationship (provides reassurance). Perceived limitations included the capacity of PROMs to shift the focus of consultations; inaccurately estimate problems; raise unrealistic expectations for care; inhibit patient-clinician interaction; lack clinically meaningful information; and not be suitable for all patients.

CONCLUSION

Both patients and clinicians reported benefits of using PROMs across diverse health conditions and clinical settings, but also highlighted several limitations. These limitations shed some light on why PROM use may not always improve patient outcomes and provide considerations for the design and implementation of future PROM initiatives.

Comparing the streamlined psychotherapy "Engage" with problem-solving therapy in late-life major depression. A randomized clinical trial

Effective psychotherapies for late-life depression are underutilized, mainly because of their complexity. "Engage" is a novel, streamlined psychotherapy that relies on neurobiology to identify core behavioral pathology of late-life depression and targets it with simple interventions, co-designed with community therapists so that they can be delivered in community settings. Consecutively recruited adults (≥60 years) with major depression (n = 249) were randomly assigned to 9 weekly sessions of "Engage" or to the evidence-based Problem-Solving Therapy (PST) offered by 35 trained community social workers and assessed by blind raters. "Engage" therapists required an average of 30% less training time to achieve fidelity to treatment than PST therapists and had one-third of the PST therapists' skill drift. Both treatments led to reduction of HAM-D scores over 9 weeks. The mixed effects model-estimated HAM-D ratings were not significantly different between the two treatments at any assessment point of the trial. The one-sided 95% CI for treatment-end difference was (-∞, 0.07) HAM-D points, indicating a non-inferiority margin of 1.3 HAM-D points or greater; this margin is lower than the pre-determined 2.2-point margin. The two treatment arms had similar response (HR = 1.08, 95% CI (0.76, 1.52), p = 0.67) and remission rates (HR = 0.89, 95% CI (0.57, 1.39), p = 0.61). We conclude that "Engage" is non-inferior to PST. If disseminated, "Engage" will increase the number of therapists who can reliably treat late-life depression and make effective psychotherapy available to large numbers of depressed older adults.

GPs' and patients' views on the value of diagnosing anxiety disorders in primary care: a qualitative interview study

Background

In the UK between 1998 and 2008, GPs’ recording of anxiety symptoms increased, but their recording of anxiety disorders decreased. The reason for this decline is not clear, nor are the treatment implications for primary care patients.

Aim

To understand GPs’ and patients’ views on the value of diagnosing anxiety disorders in primary care.

Design and setting

In-depth interviews were conducted with 15 GPs and 20 patients, purposively sampled from GP practices in Bristol and the surrounding areas.

Method

Interviews were held either in person or by telephone. A topic guide was used to ensure consistency across the interviews. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed thematically.

Results

GPs reported preferring to use symptom rather than diagnostic codes in order to avoid assigning potentially stigmatising labels, and because they felt diagnostic codes could encourage some patients to adopt a ‘sick role’. In addition, their decision to use a diagnostic code depended on symptom severity and chronicity, and these were hard to establish in a time-limited clinical consultation. In contrast, patients commented that receiving a diagnosis helped them to understand their symptoms, and encouraged them to engage with treatment.

Conclusion

GPs may be reluctant to diagnose an anxiety disorder, but patients can find a diagnosis helpful in terms of understanding their symptoms and the need for treatment. As limited consultation time can discourage discussions between GPs and patients, followup appointments and continuity of care may be particularly important for the management of anxiety in primary care.

Temporal trends in annual incidence rates for psychiatric disorders and self-harm among children and adolescents in the UK, 2003-2018

BACKGROUND

There has been growing concern in the UK over recent years that a perceived mental health crisis is affecting children and adolescents, although published epidemiological evidence is limited.

METHODS

Two population-based UK primary care cohorts were delineated in the Aurum and GOLD datasets of the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD). We included data from 9,133,246 individuals aged 1-20 who contributed 117,682,651 person-years of observation time. Sex- and age-stratified annual incidence rates were estimated for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (age groups: 1-5, 6-9, 10-12, 13-16, 17-19), depression, anxiety disorders (6-9, 10-12, 13-16, 17-19), eating disorders and self-harm (10-12, 13-16, 17-19) during 2003-2018. We fitted negative binomial regressions to estimate incidence rate ratios (IRRs) to examine change in incidence between the first (2003) and final year (2018) year of observation and to examine sex-specific incidence.

RESULTS

The results indicated that the overall incidence has increased substantially in both boys and girls in between 2003 and 2018 for anxiety disorders (IRR 3.51 95% CI 3.18-3.89), depression (2.37; 2.03-2.77), ASD (2.36; 1.72-3.26), ADHD (2.3; 1.73-3.25), and self-harm (2.25; 1.82-2.79). The incidence for eating disorders also increased (IRR 1.3 95% CI 1.06-1.61), but less sharply. The incidence of anxiety disorders, depression, self-harm and eating disorders was in absolute terms higher in girls, whereas the opposite was true for the incidence of ADHD and ASD, which were higher among boys. The largest relative increases in incidence were observed for neurodevelopmental disorders, particularly among girls diagnosed with ADHD or ASD. However, in absolute terms, the incidence was much higher for depression and anxiety disorders.

CONCLUSION

The number of young people seeking help for psychological distress appears to have increased in recent years. Changes to diagnostic criteria, reduced stigma, and increased awareness may partly explain our results, but we cannot rule out true increases in incidence occurring in the population. Whatever the explanation, the marked rise in demand for healthcare services means that it may be more challenging for affected young people to promptly access the care and support that they need.

Integrating Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) into routine nurse-led primary care for patients with multimorbidity: a feasibility and acceptability study

BACKGROUND

The use of Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMS) in clinical practice has the potential to promote patient-centred care and improve patients' quality of life. Individualized PROMs may be particularly helpful in identifying, prioritizing and monitoring health problems of patients with multimorbidity. We aimed to develop an intervention centred around PROMs feedback as part of Primary Care annual reviews for patients with multimorbidity and evaluate its feasibility and acceptability.

METHODS

We developed a nurse-oriented intervention including (a) training of nurses on PROMs; (b) administration to patients with multimorbidity of individualized and standardized PROMS; and (c) feedback to both patients and nurses of PROMs scores and interpretation guidance. We then tailored the intervention to patients with two or more highly prevalent conditions (asthma, COPD, diabetes, heart failure, depression, and hip/knee osteoarthritis) and designed a non-controlled feasibility and acceptability evaluation in a convenience sample of primary care practices (5). PROMs were administered and scores fed back immediately ahead of scheduled annual reviews with nurses. Patients and nurses rated the acceptability of the intervention using with a brief survey including optional free comments. Thematic analysis of qualitative interviews with a sample of participating patients (10) and nurses (4) and of survey free comments was conducted for further in-depth evaluation of acceptability. Feasibility was estimated based on rates of participation and completion.

RESULTS

Out of 68 recruited patients (mean age 70; 47% female), 68 completed the PROMs (100%), received feedback (100%) and confirmed nurse awareness of their scores (100%). Most patients (83%) "agreed"/"strongly agreed" that the PROMs feedback had been useful, a view supported by nurses in 89% of reviews. Thematic analysis of rich qualitative data on PROMS administration, feedback and role in annual reviews indicated that both patients and nurses perceived the intervention as acceptable and promising, emphasizing its comprehensiveness and patient-centredness.

CONCLUSIONS

We have developed and tested an intervention focusing on routine PROM assessment of patients with multimorbidity in Primary Care. Preliminary findings support its feasibility and a high degree of acceptability from both patients and nurses. The next step is to conduct a full-scale trial for evaluating the effectiveness of the proposed intervention.

The association between self-reported mental health, medication record and suicide risk: A population wide study

Suicide mortality and mental ill health are increasing globally. Mental ill health can be measured in multiple ways. It is unclear which measure is most associated with suicide risk. This study explored the association between self-rated mental health and medication record and death by suicide. The 2011 Northern Ireland Census records of adults aged 18-74 years (n=1,098,967) were linked to a centralised database of dispensed prescription medication and death registrations until the end of 2015. Mental health status was ascertained through both a single-item self-reported question in the Census and receipt of psychotropic medication. Logistic regression models examined the association between indicators of mental ill health and likelihood of suicide mortality. Of the 1,098,967 cohort members, 857 died by suicide during the study period. Just over half of these deaths (n=429, 50.1%) occurred in individuals with neither indicator of mental ill health. Cohort members with both self-reported mental ill health and receipt of psychotropic medication had the highest risk of suicide (OR=6.13, 95%CI: 4.94–7.61), followed by those with psychotropic medication record only (OR=4.00, 95%CI: 3.28–4.88) and self-report only (OR=2.88, 95%CI: 2.16–3.84). Individuals who report mental ill health and have a history of psychotropic medication use are at a high risk of suicide mortality. However, neither measure is particularly sensitive, as both failed to signal over half of subsequent suicides. Some individuals who report poor mental health but are not in receipt of psychotropic medication are at increased risk of suicide, indicating possible unmet treatment need. The combination of the two indicators offers more precision for identifying those most at risk for targeted interventions.

•

Mental ill health is associated with an increased risk of suicide, but measuring population mental health is difficult.

•

The suicide risk associated with both subjective and objective indicators of mental ill health have not been examined.

•

Most individuals who die by suicide have no indicator of mental ill health.

•

Having both self-reported poor mental health and psychotropic medication record carried the highest risk of suicide death.

•

Increased risk of suicide in individuals who report poor mental health but are not on medication may indicate unmet need.

Transforming Population-Based Depression Care: a Quality Improvement Initiative Using Remote, Centralized Care Management

INTRODUCTION

With the growing prevalence of value-based contracts, health systems are incentivized to consider population approaches to service delivery, particularly for chronic conditions like depression. To this end, UW Medicine implemented the Depression-Population Approach to Health (PATH) program in primary care (PC) as part of a system-wide Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) quality improvement (QI) initiative.

AIM

To examine the feasibility of a pilot PATH program and its impact on clinical and process-of-care outcomes.

SETTING

A large, diverse, geographically disparate academic health system in Western Washington State including 28 PC clinics across five networks.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The PATH program was a population-level, centralized, measurement-based care intervention that utilized a clinician to provide remote monitoring of treatment progress via chart review and facilitate patient engagement when appropriate. The primary goals of the program were to improve care engagement and increase follow-up PHQ-9 assessments for patients with depression and elevated initial PHQ-9 scores.

PROGRAM EVALUATION

We employed a prospective, observational study design, including commercially insured adult patients with new depression diagnoses and elevated initial PHQ-9 scores. The pilot intervention group, consisting of accountable care network (ACN) self-enrollees (N = 262), was compared with a similar commercially insured cohort (N = 2527) using difference-in-differences analyses adjusted for patient comorbidities, initial PHQ-9 score, and time trends. The PATH program was associated with three times the odds of PHQ-9 follow-up (OR 3.28, 95% CI 1.79-5.99), twice the odds of a follow-up PC clinic visit (OR 1.74, 95% CI 0.99-3.08), and twice the odds of treatment response, defined as reduction in PHQ-9 score by ≥ 50% (OR 2.02, 95% CI 0.97-4.21).

DISCUSSION

Our results demonstrate that a centralized, remote care management initiative is both feasible and effective for large academic health systems aiming to improve depression outcome ascertainment, treatment engagement, and clinical care.

Barriers to integrating routine depression screening into community low vision rehabilitation services: a mixed methods study

BACKGROUND

Undetected depression is common in people with low vision and depression screening has been recommended. However, depression screening is a complex procedure for which low vision practitioners need training. This study examined the integration of routine depression screening, using two questions, and referral pathways into a national low vision service in Wales at 6 months following practitioner training, and identified key barriers to implementation.

METHODS

This pre-post single group study employed a convergent mixed methods design to collect quantitative questionnaire and qualitative interview data on low vision practitioners' clinical practice and perceived barriers to implementing depression screening. Forty practitioners completed questionnaires pre-, immediately post- and 6 months post-training and nine engaged in interviews 6 months post-training. Ordinal questionnaire scores were Rasch-transformed into interval-level data before linear regression analyses were performed to determine the change in scores over time and the association between perceived barriers and clinical practice. Thematic Analysis was applied to the interviews and the narrative results merged with the questionnaire findings.

RESULTS

Before training, only one third of practitioners (n = 15) identified depression in low vision patients, increasing to over 90% (n = 37) at 6 months post-training, with a corresponding increase in those using validated depression screening questions from 10% (n = 4) to 80% (n = 32). Six months post-training, practitioners reported taking significantly more action in response to suspected depression (difference in means = 2.77, 95% CI 1.93 to 3.61, p < 0.001) and perceived less barriers to addressing depression (difference in means = - 0.95, 95% CI - 1.32 to - 0.59, p < 0.001). However, the screening questions were not used consistently. Some barriers to implementation remained, including perceived patient reluctance to discuss depression, time constraints and lack of confidence in addressing depression.

CONCLUSIONS

The introduction of depression screening service guidelines and training successfully increased the number of low vision practitioners identifying and addressing depression. However, standardized screening of all low vision attendees has not yet been achieved and several barriers remain. Healthcare services need to address these barriers when considering mental health screening, and further research could focus on the process from the patients' perspective, to determine the desire for and acceptability of screening.

A pay for performance scheme in primary care: Meta-synthesis of qualitative studies on the provider experiences of the quality and outcomes framework in the UK

BACKGROUND

The Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) is an incentive scheme for general practice, which was introduced across the UK in 2004. The Quality and Outcomes Framework is one of the biggest pay for performance (P4P) scheme in the world, worth £691 million in 2016/17. We now know that P4P is good at driving some kinds of improvement but not others. In some areas, it also generated moral controversy, which in turn created conflicts of interest for providers. We aimed to undertake a meta-synthesis of 18 qualitative studies of the QOF to identify themes on the impact of the QOF on individual practitioners and other staff.

METHODS

We searched 5 electronic databases, Medline, Embase, Healthstar, CINAHL and Web of Science, for qualitative studies of the QOF from the providers' perspective in primary care, published in UK between 2004 and 2018. Data was analysed using the Schwartz Value Theory as a theoretical framework to analyse the published papers through the conceptual lens of Professionalism. A line of argument synthesis was undertaken to express the synthesis.

RESULTS

We included 18 qualitative studies that where on the providers' perspective. Four themes were identified; 1) Loss of autonomy, control and ownership; 2) Incentivised conformity; 3) Continuity of care, holism and the caring role of practitioners' in primary care; and 4) Structural and organisational changes. Our synthesis found, the Values that were enhanced by the QOF were power, achievement, conformity, security, and tradition. The findings indicated that P4P schemes should aim to support Values such as benevolence, self-direction, stimulation, hedonism and universalism, which professionals ranked highly and have shown to have positive implications for Professionalism and efficiency of health systems.

CONCLUSIONS

Understanding how practitioners experience the complexities of P4P is crucial to designing and delivering schemes to enhance and not compromise the values of professionals. Future P4P schemes should aim to permit professionals with competing high priority values to be part of P4P or other quality improvement initiatives and for them to take on an 'influencer role' rather than being 'responsive agents'. Through understanding the underlying Values and not just explicit concerns of professionals, may ensure higher levels of acceptance and enduring success for P4P schemes.

Secondary care specialist visits made by children and young people prescribed antidepressants in primary care: a descriptive study using the QResearch database

BACKGROUND

Antidepressants may be used to manage a number of conditions in children and young people including depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. UK guidelines for the treatment of depression in children and young people recommend that antidepressants should only be initiated following assessment and diagnosis by a child and adolescent psychiatrist. The aim of this study was to summarise visits to mental health specialists and indications recorded around the time of antidepressant initiation in children and young people in UK primary care.

METHODS

The study used linked English primary care electronic health records and Hospital Episode Statistics secondary care data. The study included 5-17-year-olds first prescribed antidepressants between January 2006 and December 2017. Records of visits to paediatric or psychiatric specialists and potential indications (from a pre-specified list) were extracted. Events were counted if recorded less than 12 months before or 6 months after the first antidepressant prescription. Results were stratified by first antidepressant type (all, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), tricyclic and related antidepressants) and by age group (5-11 years, 12-17 years).

RESULTS

In total, 33,031 5-17-year-olds were included. Of these, 12,149 (37%) had a record of visiting a paediatrician or a psychiatric specialist in the specified time window. The majority of recorded visits (7154, 22%) were to paediatricians. Of those prescribed SSRIs, 5463/22,130 (25%) had a record of visiting a child and adolescent psychiatrist. Overall, 17,972 (54%) patients had a record of at least one of the pre-specified indications. Depression was the most frequently recorded indication (12,501, 38%), followed by anxiety (4155, 13%).

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest many children and young people are being prescribed antidepressants without the recommended involvement of a relevant specialist. These findings may justify both greater training for GPs in child and adolescent mental health and greater access to specialist care and non-pharmacological treatments. Further research is needed to explore factors that influence how and why GPs prescribe antidepressants to children and young people and the real-world practice barriers to adherence to clinical guidelines.

Improving Access to Psychological Therapies for older adults: auditing management of newly diagnosed mild and moderate depression in six general practices within the Birmingham and Solihull CCG

BACKGROUND

The first-line treatments for mild-moderate and moderate-severe depression according to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence clinical guidelines for the management of depression in adults are psychological therapies followed by or alongside pharmacological treatment. We conducted an audit of patient records (as recorded by general practitioners (GPs)) to compare practice to the guidelines.

METHODS

Incident cases were retrospectively identified from electronic primary care records (SystmOne). From 40 320 registered patients, cases were identified based on previously coded new diagnoses of depression in the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) years. Patient notes were screened for exclusion criteria (mental health problems that would alter management pathway) and for records of management discussions (pharmacological or psychological therapies) at the diagnostic appointment.

RESULTS

In 2016-2017 (n=315), psychological therapies for depression were discussed at 63.2% of diagnostic appointments, they were most discussed at appointments with those aged 18-29 years (70.8%), but this decreased with age to 56.3% of appointments with those aged ≥65 years. In 2017-2018 (n=244), psychological therapies were discussed at 70.9% of diagnostic appointments but were discussed at more appointments with those aged 18-29 years (81.6%) and at less appointments with those aged ≥65 years (39.4%). Discussion of pharmacological management was similar for all age groups in 2016-2017 (89.9%) and 2017-2018 (93.0%).

IMPLICATIONS

For patients aged ≥65 years, psychological therapies are featuring less in management discussions with GPs or are not being recorded. Recommendations for change implemented at the practice included feedback of results and professional reminders throughout the 2019-2020 QOF year.

Validity of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for depression screening in adult primary care users in Bucaramanga, Colombia

The patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) is one of the most widely used self-report instruments in primary care. There is no criterion validity of the PHQ-9 in Colombia. The objective was to validate the PHQ-9 as a screening tool in primary care. A cross-sectional, scale criterion validity study was performed using as reference criterion the mini neuropsychiatric interview (MINI) in male and female adult users of primary care centres. We calculated the internal consistency and convergent and criterion validity of the PHQ-9 by analysing the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) and the area under the curve (AUC). We analysed 243 participants; 184 (75.7%) were female. The average age was 34.05 (median of 31 and SD = 12.47). Cronbach's α was 0.80 and McDonald's ω was 0.81. Spearman's Rho was 0.64 for HADS-D (P <0.010) and 0.70 for PHQ-2 (P <0.010). The AUC was 0.92 (95% CI 0.880-0.963). The optimal cut-off point of PHQ-9 was ≥7: sensitivity of 90.38 (95% CI: 81.41-99.36); specificity of 81.68 (95% CI: 75.93-87.42); PPV 57.32 (95% CI: 46.00-68.63); NPV 96.89 (95% CI: 93.90-99.88); Youden index 0.72 (95% CI: 0.62-0.82); LR+ 4.93 (95% CI: 3.61-6.74); LR- 0.12 (95% CI: 0.005-0.270). In sum, the Colombian version of PHQ-9 is a valid and reliable instrument for depression screening in primary care in Bucaramanga, with a cut-off point ≥7.

General practitioners' views on use of patient reported outcome measures in primary care: a cross-sectional survey and qualitative study

Background

Patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) are increasingly used to assess impact of disease and treatment on quality of life and symptoms; however, their use in primary care is fragmented.

We aimed to understand how PROMs are currently being used in primary care, the barriers and facilitators of this use and if appropriate how it might be optimised.

Methods

Cross-sectional survey and semi-structured interviews among general practitioners (GPs) in England. GPs’ opinions were explored using an electronic, self-completed questionnaire disseminated to 100 GPs via an online doctors’ community and semi-structured qualitative interviews with 25 GPs.

Results

Most GPs surveyed (77/100; 77%) reported using one or more PROM, primarily to aid clinical management (n = 66) or as screening/diagnostic tools (n = 62).

Qualitative interviews highlighted challenges in identifying and selecting PROMs; however, some GPs valued PROMs for shared decision making and to direct patient discussions. The interviews identified key barriers to PROM use including: time constraints; insufficient knowledge; lack of integration into clinical systems; and PROMs being mandated without consultation or explanation. Evidence of the benefit of PROMs is required to promote uptake and use of PROMs in primary care.

Conclusion

Implementation of PROMs in primary care requires integration with clinical systems, a bottom-up approach to PROM selection and system design involving meaningful consultation with patients and primary care clinicians and training/support for use.

Establishing the acceptability of a brief patient reported outcome measure and feasibility of implementing it in a breast device registry - a qualitative study

Background

To examine the acceptability of a Patient Reported Outcome Measure (PROM) that assesses perceptions and experiences of implants for breast reconstruction or augmentation, and the feasibility of implementing it in the Australian Breast Device Registry (ABDR).

Methods

The BREAST-Q Implant Surveillance (BREAST-Q IS) is a 5-question PROM derived from the BREAST-Q questionnaire. It assesses perceptions of breast appearance and sensation, and experiences of pain. Breast implant recipients (recruited via community networks, social media and notices in surgeons’ rooms) and surgeons contributing to the ABDR were invited to review the BREAST-Q-IS. Participation was by individual semi-structured interviews by telephone or email, or by completion of a paper questionnaire. Transcripts of audio recordings and emailed text were analysed thematically.

Results

Twenty one breast implant recipients (10 after reconstruction and 11 augmentation), 8 surgeons (five plastic, three breast) and 2 medical professionals performing cosmetic surgeries were interviewed. Six themes were identified: Overall impression, Emotional response to the BREAST-Q IS, Method of follow-up, Suggested improvements, Group variation, and Potential Clinical utility. Overall, breast implant recipients and surgeons found the BREAST-Q IS to be acceptable and unlikely to provoke strong emotional reactions. Email was the preferred mode of contact. Most suggested improvements were to add questions. Surgeons expressed concern that subjective responses to the PROM might not accurately reflect experiences and that the PROM would predict need for revision rather than device failure.

Conclusion

This study supports the acceptability and feasibility of BREAST-Q IS as a PROM for recipients of breast implants. Further validation of the Breast-Q IS is required.

Feasibility of referral to a therapist for assessment of psychiatric problems in primary care - an interview study

Background

Depression and anxiety disorders are common in primary care. Comorbidities are frequent, and the diagnoses can be difficult. The Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) can be a support in the clinical examination of patients with complex problems. However, for family practitioners (FPs), time and perceptions about structured interviews can be barriers to the MINI. An inter-professional teamwork process where FPs refer a patient to a therapist for a MINI assessment represents one way in which to address the problem. The results are fed back to the FPs for diagnosis and treatment decisions.

The purposes of this study were to explore if the process was feasible for FPs, patients and therapists in Swedish primary care, and to identify factors influencing the process, using the COM-B model.

Methods

FPs at two primary care centers (PHCC) in Stockholm were offered the opportunity to refer patients to in-house therapists. Semi-structured interviews or focus groups were conducted with 22 patients, 17 FPs and three therapists to capture their experiences and perceptions. Inductive content analysis for each group of participants was followed by triangulation across groups. Finally, the categories obtained were fitted to the components in the COM-B.

Results

Therapists at both PHCCs conducted the MINI. The intended process was adopted at one PHCC. At the second PHCC, the responsibilities for the diagnosis and treatment of patients referred were transferred to the therapist. The patients were satisfied, as they appreciated multi-professional examinations. The FPs’ competence in psychiatry, actual access to therapists, beliefs that the referrals saved the FPs time and effort, and established habits influenced whether patients were referred. Existing routines and professional expectations for work content influenced the degree of cooperation between the therapists and the FPs.

Conclusions

An inter-professional diagnostic process where FPs refer patients to a therapist for assessment and the results are fed back to the FPs can be feasible. Feasibility depends on access to a therapist, the perceptions of roles and competences among FPs and therapists, and strategies for supporting teamwork.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12875-019-1007-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

How do patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) support clinician-patient communication and patient care? A realist synthesis

BACKGROUND

In this paper, we report the findings of a realist synthesis that aimed to understand how and in what circumstances patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) support patient-clinician communication and subsequent care processes and outcomes in clinical care. We tested two overarching programme theories: (1) PROMs completion prompts a process of self-reflection and supports patients to raise issues with clinicians and (2) PROMs scores raise clinicians' awareness of patients' problems and prompts discussion and action. We examined how the structure of the PROM and care context shaped the ways in which PROMs support clinician-patient communication and subsequent care processes.

RESULTS

PROMs completion prompts patients to reflect on their health and gives them permission to raise issues with clinicians. However, clinicians found standardised PROMs completion during patient assessments sometimes constrained rather than supported communication. In response, clinicians adapted their use of PROMs to render them compatible with the ongoing management of patient relationships. Individualised PROMs supported dialogue by enabling the patient to tell their story. In oncology, PROMs completion outside of the consultation enabled clinicians to identify problematic symptoms when the PROM acted as a substitute rather than addition to the clinical encounter and when the PROM focused on symptoms and side effects, rather than health related quality of life (HRQoL). Patients did not always feel it was appropriate to discuss emotional, functional or HRQoL issues with doctors and doctors did not perceive this was within their remit.

CONCLUSIONS

This paper makes two important contributions to the literature. First, our findings show that PROMs completion is not a neutral act of information retrieval but can change how patients think about their condition. Second, our findings reveal that the ways in which clinicians use PROMs is shaped by their relationships with patients and professional roles and boundaries. Future research should examine how PROMs completion and feedback shapes and is influenced by the process of building relationships with patients, rather than just their impact on information exchange and decision making.

Experiencing mental health diagnosis: a systematic review of service user, clinician, and carer perspectives across clinical settings

Receiving a mental health diagnosis can be pivotal for service users, and it has been described in both positive and negative terms. What influences service-user experience of the diagnostic process is unclear; consequently, clinicians report uncertainty regarding best practice. This Review aims to understand and inform diagnostic practice through a comprehensive synthesis of qualitative data on views and experiences from key stakeholders (service users, clinicians, carers, and family). We searched five databases and identified 78 papers for inclusion, originating from 13 countries and including 2228 participants. Eligible papers were assessed for quality, and data were coded and then developed into themes, which generated a model representing factors to consider for clinicians conveying, and individuals receiving, mental health diagnoses. Themes included disclosure, information provision, collaboration, timing, stigma, and functional value of diagnosis for recovery. Variations between different stakeholders and clinical contexts are explored. Findings support an individualised, collaborative, and holistic approach to mental health diagnosis.

Factors contributing to the recognition of anxiety and depression in general practice

Background

Adequate recognition of anxiety and depression by general practitioners (GPs) can be improved. Research on factors that are associated with recognition is limited and shows mixed results. The aim of this study was to explore which patient and GP characteristics are associated with recognition of anxiety and depression.

Methods

We performed a secondary analysis on data from 444 patients who were recruited for a randomized trial. Recognition of anxiety and depression was defined in terms of information in the medical records, in patients who screened positive on the extended Kessler 10 (EK-10). A total of 10 patient and GP characteristics, measured at baseline, were tested and included in a multilevel regression model to examine their impact on recognition.

Results

Patients who reported a perceived need for psychological care (OR = 2.54, 95% CI 1.60–4.03) and those with higher 4DSQ distress scores (OR = 1.03; 95% CI 1.00–1.07) were more likely to be recognized. In addition, patients’ anxiety or depression was less likely to be recognized when GPs were less confident in their abilities to identify depression (OR = 0.97; 95% CI 0.95–0.99). Patients’ age, chronic medical condition, somatisation, severity of anxiety and depression, and functional status were not associated with the recognition of anxiety and depression.

Conclusions

There is room for improvement of the recognition of anxiety and depression. Quality improvement activities that focus on increasing GPs’ confidence in the ability to identify symptoms of distress, anxiety and depression, as part of care according to guidelines, may improve recognition.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12875-018-0784-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Patient-Reported Measures for Person-Centered Coordinated Care: A Comparative Domain Map and Web-Based Compendium for Supporting Policy Development and Implementation

BACKGROUND

Patient-reported measure (PRM) questionnaires were originally used in research to measure outcomes of intervention studies. They have now evolved into a diverse family of tools measuring a range of constructs including quality of life and experiences of care. Current health and social care policy increasingly advocates their use for embedding the patient voice into service redesign through new models of care such as person-centered coordinated care (P3C). If chosen carefully and used efficiently, these tools can help improve care delivery through a variety of novel ways, including system-level feedback for health care management and commissioning. Support and guidance on how to use these tools would be critical to achieve these goals.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to develop evidence-based guidance and support for the use of P3C-PRMs in health and social care policy through identification of PRMs that can be used to enhance the development of P3C, mapping P3C-PRMs against an existing model of domains of P3C, and integration and organization of the information in a user-friendly Web-based database.

METHODS

A pragmatic approach was used for the systematic identification of candidate P3C-PRMs, which aimed at balancing comprehensiveness and feasibility. This utilized a number of resources, including existing compendiums, peer-reviewed and gray literature (using a flexible search strategy), and stakeholder engagement (which included guidance for relevant clinical areas). A subset of those candidate measures (meeting prespecified eligibility criteria) was then mapped against a theoretical model of P3C, facilitating classification of the construct being measured and the subsequent generation of shortlists for generic P3C measures, specific aspects of P3C (eg, communication or decision making), and condition-specific measures (eg, diabetes, cancer) in priority areas, as highlighted by stakeholders.

RESULTS

In total, 328 P3C-PRMs were identified, which were used to populate a freely available Web-based database. Of these, 63 P3C-PRMs met the eligibility criteria for shortlisting and were classified according to their measurement constructs and mapped against the theoretical P3C model. We identified tools with the best coverage of P3C, thereby providing evidence of their content validity as outcome measures for new models of care. Transitions and medications were 2 areas currently poorly covered by existing measures. All the information is currently available at a user-friendly web-based portal (p3c.org.uk), which includes all relevant information on each measure, such as the constructs targeted and links to relevant literature, in addition to shortlists according to relevant constructs.

CONCLUSIONS

A detailed compendium of P3C-PRMs has been developed using a pragmatic systematic approach supported by stakeholder engagement. Our user-friendly suite of tools is designed to act as a portal to the world of PRMs for P3C, and have utility for a broad audience, including (but not limited to) health care commissioners, managers, and researchers.

The Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview is useful and well accepted as part of the clinical assessment for depression and anxiety in primary care: a mixed-methods study

BACKGROUND

Psychiatric complaints are common among primary care patients, with depression and anxiety being the most frequent. Diagnosis of anxiety and depression can be difficult, potentially leading to over- as well as under-diagnosis. The diagnostic process can be facilitated by incorporating structured interviews as part of the assessment. One such instrument, the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), has been established and accepted in psychiatric care. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences and perceptions of the paper-and-pen version of MINI version 6.0 among patients and staff in primary care centers in Sweden.

METHODS

The MINI was introduced at three primary care centers and was conducted by either therapists or general practitioners. Patients presented with symptoms that could suggest depression or anxiety disorders. The duration of the interview was recorded. The experiences and perceptions of 125 patients and their interviewers were collected using a structured questionnaire. Global satisfaction was measured with a visual-analog scale (0-100). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 24 patients and three therapists, and focus groups were held with 17 general practitioners. Qualitative content analysis was used for the interviews and focus groups. The findings across the groups were triangulated with results from the questionnaires.

RESULTS

The median global satisfaction with the MINI was 80 for patients and 86 for interviewers. General practitioners appreciated that the MINI identified comorbidities, as one-third of the patients had at least two psychiatric diagnoses. The MINI helped general practitioners attain a more accurate diagnosis. Patients appreciated that the MINI helped them recognize and verbalize their problems and did not find it intrusive. Patients and interviewers had mixed experiences with the yes-no format of the MINI, and the risk of subjective interpretations was acknowledged. Patients, general practitioners and therapists stated that the MINI contributed to appropriate treatment. The MINI assessment lasted 26 min on average (range 12 to 60 min).

CONCLUSIONS

The paper-and-pen version of the MINI could be useful in primary care as part of the clinical assessment of patients with problems suggestive of depression or anxiety disorders. The MINI was well accepted by patients, general practitioners and therapists.

How do aggregated patient-reported outcome measures data stimulate health care improvement? A realist synthesis

Objectives Internationally, there has been considerable debate about the role of data in supporting quality improvement in health care. Our objective was to understand how, why and in what circumstances the feedback of aggregated patient-reported outcome measures data improved patient care. Methods We conducted a realist synthesis. We identified three main programme theories underlying the use of patient-reported outcome measures as a quality improvement strategy and expressed them as nine 'if then' propositions. We identified international evidence to test these propositions through searches of electronic databases and citation tracking, and supplemented our synthesis with evidence from similar forms of performance data. We synthesized this evidence through comparing the mechanisms and impact of patient-reported outcome measures and other performance data on quality improvement in different contexts. Results Three programme theories were identified: supporting patient choice, improving accountability and enabling providers to compare their performance with others. Relevant contextual factors were extent of public disclosure, use of financial incentives, perceived credibility of the data and the practicality of the results. Available evidence suggests that patients or their agents rarely use any published performance data when selecting a provider. The perceived motivation behind public reporting is an important determinant of how providers respond. When clinicians perceived that performance indicators were not credible but were incentivized to collect them, gaming or manipulation of data occurred. Outcome data do not provide information on the cause of poor care: providers needed to integrate and interpret patient-reported outcome measures and other outcome data in the context of other data. Lack of timeliness of performance data constrains their impact. Conclusions Although there is only limited research evidence to support some widely held theories of how aggregated patient-reported outcome measures data stimulate quality improvement, several lessons emerge from interventions sharing the same programme theories to help guide the increasing use of these measures.

Why are there discrepancies between depressed patients' Global Rating of Change and scores on the Patient Health Questionnaire depression module? A qualitative study of primary care in England

OBJECTIVES

Our aims were to investigate discrepancies between depressed patients' GlobalRating of Change (GRC) and scores on the Patient Health Questionnaire depression module (PHQ-9). Our objectives were to ascertain patients' views on the source and meaning of mismatches and assess their clinical significance.

DESIGN

Qualitative study nested within a cohort, in a programme investigating the indications for prescribing antidepressants that will lead to a clinical benefit.

SETTING

Primary care practices in north-west England.

PARTICIPANTS

We invited 32 adults with a recent diagnosis of depression and evidence of mismatch between GRC and PHQ-9 Scores to participate. Of these, 29 completed our interviews; most were women, identified as white British, had high school education or higher, were employed or retired and had been depressed for a long time.

MAIN MEASURES

We conducted semistructured interviews with a topic guide, focusing on experiences of depression; treatment experiences and expectations; effectiveness of the questionnaires; reasons for the mismatch; and social factors. Interviews were transcribed and subjected to interpretative phenomenological analysis.

RESULTS

We identified four themes as explanations for mismatch between GRC and PHQ-9: perceptions that GRC provided a more accurate assessment of current mental state than PHQ-9; impact of recent negative or positive life events on either measure; personal understanding of depression as normally fluctuating, and tendency to underscore on PHQ-9 as a means of self-motivation; and lack of recall.

CONCLUSIONS

The combined used of the PHQ-9 and a more open question better captures the patient's unique experiences of mental health. This approach ascertains the relevance of symptoms to the individual's experience and influences treatment decisions.

STUDY REGISTRATION

This study was an element of NIHR Programme Grant RP-PG 0610 10048.

Temporal trends in antidepressant prescribing to children in UK primary care, 2000-2015

BACKGROUND

The prevalence of antidepressant prescribing in children and adolescents increased steadily in the United States and parts of Europe between 2005 and 2012 despite regulatory safety warnings. Little is known about the characteristics of those being prescribed antidepressants for the first time.

METHODS

A longitudinal study of antidepressant prescribing in 3-17 year olds was carried out using data from the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) between 2000 and 2015. Changes in the incidence of first ever antidepressant prescriptions and the characteristics of those being prescribed them was examined.

RESULTS

Incidence of first ever prescriptions nearly doubled between 2006 and 2015 rising from 1.60 (95%CI: 1.51, 1.69) to 3.12 (3.00, 3.25) per 1000 person years. Only 21% of the 1721 patients with incident prescriptions in 2015 could be linked to a depression diagnosis, with an additional 22% of prescriptions linked to alternative indications. The incidence of prescriptions linked to a depression diagnosis increased between 2012 and 2015, with an adjusted incidence rate ratio of 1.46 (1.26, 1.70). Antidepressant prescribing for depression and other indications has been increasing most rapidly in 15 to 17 year old females.

LIMITATIONS

Diagnoses are not directly linked to prescriptions in CPRD, so linkage must be inferred by temporal proximity.

CONCLUSIONS

Antidepressant prescribing in children increased between 2006 and 2015. This is, at least in part, due to a rise in alternative uses of antidepressants, including the treatment of anxiety, chronic pain and migraines.

Functionality and feedback: a realist synthesis of the collation, interpretation and utilisation of patient-reported outcome measures data to improve patient care

Background

The feedback of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) data is intended to support the care of individual patients and to act as a quality improvement (QI) strategy.

Objectives

To (1) identify the ideas and assumptions underlying how individual and aggregated PROMs data are intended to improve patient care, and (2) review the evidence to examine the circumstances in which and processes through which PROMs feedback improves patient care.

Design

Two separate but related realist syntheses: (1) feedback of aggregate PROMs and performance data to improve patient care, and (2) feedback of individual PROMs data to improve patient care.

Interventions

Aggregate – feedback and public reporting of PROMs, patient experience data and performance data to hospital providers and primary care organisations. Individual – feedback of PROMs in oncology, palliative care and the care of people with mental health problems in primary and secondary care settings.

Main outcome measures

Aggregate – providers’ responses, attitudes and experiences of using PROMs and performance data to improve patient care. Individual – providers’ and patients’ experiences of using PROMs data to raise issues with clinicians, change clinicians’ communication practices, change patient management and improve patient well-being.

Data sources

Searches of electronic databases and forwards and backwards citation tracking.

Review methods

Realist synthesis to identify, test and refine programme theories about when, how and why PROMs feedback leads to improvements in patient care.

Results

Providers were more likely to take steps to improve patient care in response to the feedback and public reporting of aggregate PROMs and performance data if they perceived that these data were credible, were aimed at improving patient care, and were timely and provided a clear indication of the source of the problem. However, implementing substantial and sustainable improvement to patient care required system-wide approaches. In the care of individual patients, PROMs function more as a tool to support patients in raising issues with clinicians than they do in substantially changing clinicians’ communication practices with patients. Patients valued both standardised and individualised PROMs as a tool to raise issues, but thought is required as to which patients may benefit and which may not. In settings such as palliative care and psychotherapy, clinicians viewed individualised PROMs as useful to build rapport and support the therapeutic process. PROMs feedback did not substantially shift clinicians’ communication practices or focus discussion on psychosocial issues; this required a shift in clinicians’ perceptions of their remit.

Strengths and limitations

There was a paucity of research examining the feedback of aggregate PROMs data to providers, and we drew on evidence from interventions with similar programme theories (other forms of performance data) to test our theories.

Conclusions

PROMs data act as ‘tin openers’ rather than ‘dials’. Providers need more support and guidance on how to collect their own internal data, how to rule out alternative explanations for their outlier status and how to explore the possible causes of their outlier status. There is also tension between PROMs as a QI strategy versus their use in the care of individual patients; PROMs that clinicians find useful in assessing patients, such as individualised measures, are not useful as indicators of service quality.

Future work

Future research should (1) explore how differently performing providers have responded to aggregate PROMs feedback, and how organisations have collected PROMs data both for individual patient care and to improve service quality; and (2) explore whether or not and how incorporating PROMs into patients’ electronic records allows multiple different clinicians to receive PROMs feedback, discuss it with patients and act on the data to improve patient care.

Study registration

This study is registered as PROSPERO CRD42013005938.

Funding

The National Institute for Health Research Health Services and Delivery Research programme.

Understanding depression associated with chronic physical illness: a Q-methodology study in primary care

BACKGROUND

Detection of depression can be difficult in primary care, particularly when associated with chronic illness. Patient beliefs may affect detection and subsequent engagement with management. Q-methodology can help to identify viewpoints that are likely to influence either clinical practice or policy intervention.

AIM

To identify socially shared viewpoints of comorbid depression, and characterise key overlaps and discrepancies.

DESIGN AND SETTING

A Q-methodology study of patients registered with general practices or community clinics in Leeds, UK.

METHOD

Patients with coronary heart disease or diabetes and depression from three practices and community clinics were invited to participate. Participants ranked 57 statements about comorbid depression. Factor analyses were undertaken to identify independent accounts, and additional interview data were used to support interpretation.

RESULTS

Thirty-one patients participated; 13 (42%) had current symptoms of depression. Five accounts towards comorbid depression were identified: overwhelmed resources; something medical or within me; a shameful weakness; part of who I am; and recovery-orientated. The main differences in attitudes related to the cause of depression and its relationship with the patient's chronic illness, experience of shame, and whether medical interventions would help recovery.

CONCLUSION

There are groups of patients who do not perceive a relationship between their depression and chronic illness; they may not understand the intention behind policy initiatives to identify depression during chronic illness reviews. Tailoring detection strategies for depression to take account of different clusters of attitudes and beliefs could help improve identification and personalise management.

Recent trends in primary-care antidepressant prescribing to children and young people: an e-cohort study

BACKGROUND

Concerns relating to increased use of psychotropic medication contrast with those of under-treatment and under-recognition of common mental disorders in children and young people (CYP) across developed countries. Little is known about the indications recorded for antidepressant prescribing in primary care in CYP.

METHOD

This was an electronic cohort study of routinely collected primary-care data from a population of 1.9 million, Wales, UK. Poisson regression was undertaken to model adjusted counts of recorded depression symptoms, diagnoses and antidepressant prescriptions. Associated indications were explored.

RESULTS

3 58 383 registered patients aged 6-18 years between 1 January 2003 and 31 December 2013 provided a total of 19 20 338 person-years of follow-up. The adjusted incidence of antidepressant prescribing increased significantly [incidence rate ratio (IRR) for 2013 = 1.28], mainly in older adolescents. The majority of new antidepressant prescriptions were for citalopram. Recorded depression diagnoses showed a steady decline (IRR = 0.72) while depression symptoms (IRR = 2.41) increased. Just over half of new antidepressant prescriptions were associated with depression (diagnosis or symptoms). Other antidepressant prescribing, largely unlicensed, was associated with diagnoses such as anxiety and pain.

CONCLUSION

Antidepressant prescribing is increasing in CYP while recorded depression diagnoses decline. Unlicensed citalopram prescribing occurs outside current guidelines, despite its known toxicity in overdose. Unlicensed antidepressant prescribing is associated with a wide range of diagnoses, and while accepted practice, is often not supported by safety and efficacy studies. New strategies to implement current guidance for the management of depression in CYP are required.

Framework and guidance for implementing patient-reported outcomes in clinical practice: evidence, challenges and opportunities

Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) are reports of the status of a patient's health condition that come directly from the patient. While PRO measures are a well-developed technology with robust standards in research, their use for informing healthcare decisions is still poorly understood. We review relevant examples of their application in the provision of healthcare and examine the challenges associated with implementing PROs in clinical settings. We evaluate evidence for their use and examine barriers to their uptake, and present an evidence-based framework for the successful implementation of PROs in clinical practice. We discuss current and future developments for the use of PROs in clinical practice, such as individualized measurement and computer-adaptive testing.

"You don't immediately stick a label on them": a qualitative study of influences on general practitioners' recording of anxiety disorders

OBJECTIVES

Anxiety is a common condition usually managed in general practice (GP) in the UK. GP patient records can be used for epidemiological studies of anxiety as well as clinical audit and service planning. However, it is not clear how general practitioners (GPs) conceptualise, diagnose and document anxiety in these records. We sought to understand these factors through an interview study with GPs.

SETTING

UK National Health Service (NHS) General Practice (England and Wales).

PARTICIPANTS

17 UK GPs.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES

Semistructured interviews used vignettes to explore the process of diagnosing anxiety in primary care and investigate influences on recording. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

GPs chose 12 different codes for recording anxiety in the 2 vignettes, and reported that history, symptoms and management would be recorded in free text. GPs reported on 4 themes representing influences on recording of anxiety: 'anxiety or a normal response', 'granularity of diagnosis', 'giving patients a label' and 'time as a tool'; and 3 themes about recording in general: 'justifying the choice of code', 'usefulness of coding' and 'practice-specific pressures'. GPs reported using only a regular selection of codes in patient records to help standardise records within the practice and as a time-saving measure.

CONCLUSIONS

We have identified a coding culture where GPs feel confident recognising anxiety symptoms; however, due to clinical uncertainty, a long-term perspective and a focus on management, they are reluctant to code firm diagnoses in the initial stages. Researchers using GP patient records should be aware that GPs may prefer free text, symptom codes and other general codes rather than firm diagnostic codes for anxiety.

Case-finding for common mental disorders of anxiety and depression in primary care: an external validation of routinely collected data

Background

The robustness of epidemiological research using routinely collected primary care electronic data to support policy and practice for common mental disorders (CMD) anxiety and depression would be greatly enhanced by appropriate validation of diagnostic codes and algorithms for data extraction. We aimed to create a robust research platform for CMD using population-based, routinely collected primary care electronic data.

Methods

We developed a set of Read code lists (diagnosis, symptoms, treatments) for the identification of anxiety and depression in the General Practice Database (GPD) within the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage Databank at Swansea University, and assessed 12 algorithms for Read codes to define cases according to various criteria. Annual incidence rates were calculated per 1000 person years at risk (PYAR) to assess recording practice for these CMD between January 1^st 2000 and December 31^st 2009. We anonymously linked the 2799 MHI-5 Caerphilly Health and Social Needs Survey (CHSNS) respondents aged 18 to 74 years to their routinely collected GP data in SAIL. We estimated the sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value of the various algorithms using the MHI-5 as the gold standard.

Results

The incidence of combined depression/anxiety diagnoses remained stable over the ten-year period in a population of over 500,000 but symptoms increased from 6.5 to 20.7 per 1000 PYAR. A ‘historical’ GP diagnosis for depression/anxiety currently treated plus a current diagnosis (treated or untreated) resulted in a specificity of 0.96, sensitivity 0.29 and PPV 0.76. Adding current symptom codes improved sensitivity (0.32) with a marginal effect on specificity (0.95) and PPV (0.74).

Conclusions

We have developed an algorithm with a high specificity and PPV of detecting cases of anxiety and depression from routine GP data that incorporates symptom codes to reflect GP coding behaviour. We have demonstrated that using diagnosis and current treatment alone to identify cases for depression and anxiety using routinely collected primary care data will miss a number of true cases given changes in GP recording behaviour. The Read code lists plus the developed algorithms will be applicable to other routinely collected primary care datasets, creating a platform for future e-cohort research into these conditions.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12911-016-0274-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Critical factors influencing physicians' intention to use computerized clinical practice guidelines: an integrative model of activity theory and the technology acceptance model

Background

With the widespread use of information communication technologies, computerized clinical practice guidelines are developed and considered as effective decision supporting tools in assisting the processes of clinical activities. However, the development of computerized clinical practice guidelines in Taiwan is still at the early stage and acceptance level among major users (physicians) of computerized clinical practice guidelines is not satisfactory. This study aims to investigate critical factors influencing physicians’ intention to computerized clinical practice guideline use through an integrative model of activity theory and the technology acceptance model.

Methods

The survey methodology was employed to collect data from physicians of the investigated hospitals that have implemented computerized clinical practice guidelines. A total of 505 questionnaires were sent out, with 238 completed copies returned, indicating a valid response rate of 47.1 %. The collected data was then analyzed by structural equation modeling technique.

Results

The results showed that attitudes toward using computerized clinical practice guidelines (γ = 0.451, p < 0.001), organizational support (γ = 0.285, p < 0.001), perceived usefulness of computerized clinical practice guidelines (γ = 0.219, p < 0.05), and social influence (γ = 0.213, p < 0.05) were critical factors influencing physicians’ intention to use computerized clinical practice guidelines, and these factors can explain 68.6 % of the variance in intention to use computerized clinical practice guidelines.

Conclusions

This study confirmed that some subject (human) factors, environment (organization) factors, tool (technology) factors mentioned in the activity theory should be carefully considered when introducing computerized clinical practice guidelines. Managers should pay much attention on those identified factors and provide adequate resources and incentives to help the promotion and use of computerized clinical practice guidelines. Through the appropriate use of computerized clinical practice guidelines, the clinical benefits, particularly in improving quality of care and facilitating the clinical processes, will be realized.

Major depression treatment in Germany-descriptive analysis of health insurance fund routine data and assessment of guideline-adherence

BACKGROUND

Guideline oriented treatment strategies of Major depressive disorder (MDD) improve treatment outcomes and reduce risks of chronicity and recurrence.

AIMS

Description of routine treatment reality and analysis of guideline fidelity in first episode MDD in Germany. Indicators: patients with severe or psychotic depression or severe psychiatric comorbidities' treatment by specialists, adequate antidepressant pharmacotherapy, permanent treatment with more than one antidepressant, long-term benzodiazepine treatment and provision of psychotherapy.

METHOD

Descriptive analysis of routine data of the German statutory health insurance fund Barmer GEK in the index year 2011 that covers a population of 7,501,110.

RESULTS

236,843 patients were diagnosed a depressive episode. 53.0% of the patients with severe depression, 34.4% with psychotic depression and 50.9% with severe psychiatric comorbidities were treated by specialists; of the patients treated by a general practitioner 48.1% with severe and 47.3% with psychotic depression received an antidepressant; 9.7% of all patients with MDD got two antidepressants simultaneously; 8.3% received longterm benzodiazepine prescriptions; 26.1% got psychotherapy.

LIMITATIONS

the analyses depends on the indicators definitions that cannot cope with the variety of individual treatment path; comparison with guidelines was complicated by a large fraction of patients with recurrent MDD that was wrongly diagnosed with first episode depression; due to the data structure, not all guideline recommendations could be examined

CONCLUSIONS

Routine practice was oriented upon the guidelines recommendations. However some aspects could be identified that bear potential for improvements.

Did NICE guidelines and the Quality Outcomes Framework change GP antidepressant prescribing in England? Observational study with time trend analyses 2003-2013

BACKGROUND

Both the 2004 NICE depression guidelines and 2006 general practice Quality Outcomes Framework (QOF) encouraged improved targeting of antidepressant treatment for depression.

METHODS

Possible effects of the NICE guideline from January 2005, and QOF from April 2006, on rates of GP antidepressant prescribing were examined using time trend analyses of anonymised data from 142 English practices contributing to the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD), 2003-2013.

RESULTS

Sustained reductions were found in the proportion of first-ever depression episodes treated within 12 months, of 4.2% (95% C.I. 1.0-7.3%) following introduction of the NICE guideline, and 4.4% (2.3-6.5%) following introduction of the QOF. Treatment rates for first-ever episodes fell from 72.5% (70.8-74.1%) in Quarter 2 (Q2) 2003 to 61.0% (59.3-62.7%) in Q1 2012, but treatment rates for recurrent episodes increased from 74.3% (72.8-75.8%) to 77.8% (76.5-79.1%), so overall rates remained around 70%. Mean prescriptions per patient per year doubled from 2.06 (2.05-2.07) to 3.98 (3.97-3.99).

LIMITATIONS

Participating practices were larger than average and not representative across regions. Inferences of cause and effect from time trend analyses are subject to the possibility of unidentified confounders. No data were available on depression severity or appropriateness of prescribing.

CONCLUSIONS

Rates of GP antidepressant treatment for patients with incident depression fell following introduction of NICE depression guidelines and the QOF, but treatment rates for recurrent depression increased. Prescription numbers increased due to longer treatment courses. To impact on antidepressant prescribing rates, guidelines and performance indicators must address recurrent and long-term prescribing, rather than initial treatment decisions.

Recent trends in the incidence of anxiety and prescription of anxiolytics and hypnotics in children and young people: An e-cohort study

BACKGROUND

Little is known regarding the recognition of anxiety in children and young people (CYP) in primary care. This study examined trends in the presentation, recognition and recording of anxiety and of anxiolytic and hypnotic prescriptions for CYP in primary care.

METHOD

A population-based retrospective electronic cohort of individuals aged 6-18 years between 2003 and 2011 within the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage (SAIL) Databank primary care database was created. Incidence rates were calculated using person years at risk (PYAR) as a denominator accounting for deprivation, age and gender.

RESULTS

We identified a cohort of 311,343 registered individuals providing a total of 1,546,489 person years of follow up. The incidence of anxiety symptoms more than tripled over the study period (Incidence Rate Ratio (IRR)=3.55, 95% CI 2.65-4.77) whilst that of diagnosis has remained stable. Anxiolytic/hypnotic prescriptions for the cohort as a whole did not change significantly over time; however there was a significant increase in anxiolytic prescriptions for the 15-18 year age group (IRR 1.62, 95% CI 1.30-2.02).

LIMITATIONS

There was a lack of reliable information regarding other interventions available or received at a primary, secondary or tertiary level such as psychological treatments.

CONCLUSIONS

There appears to be a preference over time for the recording of general symptoms over diagnosis for anxiety in CYP. The increase in anxiolytic prescriptions for 15-18 year olds is discrepant with current prescribing guidelines. Specific guidance is required for the assessment and management of CYP presenting with anxiety to primary care, particularly older adolescents.

Changes in rates of recorded depression in English primary care 2003-2013: Time trend analyses of effects of the economic recession, and the GP contract quality outcomes framework (QOF)

BACKGROUND

Depression may be increasing, particularly since the economic recession. Introduction of quality outcomes framework (QOF) performance indicators may have altered GP recording of depression.

METHODS

Time trend analyses of GP recording of depression before and after the recession (from April 2008), and the QOF (from April 2006) were conducted on anonymised consultation data from 142 English practices contributing to the Clinical Practice Research Datalink, April 2003-March 2013.

RESULTS

293,596 patients had computer codes for depressive diagnoses or symptoms in the 10 years. Prevalence of depression codes fell from 44.6 (95% CI 44.2, 45.0) per 1000 person years at risk (PYAR) in 2003/2004 to 38.0 (37.7, 38.3) in 2008/2009, rising to 39.5 (39.2, 39.9) in 2012/2013. Incidence of first-ever depression codes fell from 11.9 (95% CI 11.7, 12.1) per 1000 PYAR in 2003/2004 to 9.5 (9.3, 9.7) in 2008/2009, rising to 10.0 (9.8, 10.2) in 2012/1203. Prevalence increased in men but not women following the recession, associated with increased unemployment. Following introduction of the QOF, GPs used more non-QOF-qualifying symptom or other codes than QOF-qualifying diagnostic codes for new episodes.

LIMITATIONS

Clinical data recording is probably incomplete. Participating practices were relatively large and not representative across English regions.

CONCLUSIONS

Rates of recorded depression in English general practices were falling prior to the economic recession but increased again subsequently, among men, associated with increased unemployment. GPs responded to the QOF by switching from diagnostic to symptom codes, removing most depressed patients from the denominator for measuring GP performance in assessing depression.

General practitioners uses and perceptions of voluntary electronic feedback on treatment outcomes - a qualitative study

Background

Currently, there is a strong focus on the diffusion and implementation of indicator-based technologies for assessing and improving the quality of care in general practice. The aim of this study was to explore how and for what purposes indicator-based feedback is used by the general practitioners (GPs) and how they perceive it to contribute to their work.

Methods

Qualitative interviews with nine GPs in two regions in Denmark. The main selection criterion was that the informants had experience with retrieving electronic feedback. The data generation was explorative and open-ended and the analysis took an iterative approach with continuous refinement of themes that emerged from the data.

Results

The study identified two main uses of feedback: i) Administration of a regular disease control schedule for patients with chronic disease and ii) Routine monitoring of outcomes for purposes of resource prioritisation and medication management. Both uses were deemed valuable by the GPs, but also as an additional extra to the clinical core task. All the GPs experienced the feedback to be of limited relevance to the most central and challenging aspects of clinical work understood as the care for individuals. This led to different reactions: Some GPs would use the feedback as a point of departure for broader deliberations about individual patient needs and treatment approaches. For others, the perceived limitations decreased their overall motivation to seek feedback.

Conclusions

The study points to the importance of clarifying limitations as well as possibilities with respect to different aspects of clinical quality when introducing indicator-based technologies to practitioners. The results also emphasize that an indicator-based approach to quality improvement should not stand alone in general practice since some of the most central and challenging aspects of clinical work are not covered by this approach.

Effect of a national primary care pay for performance scheme on emergency hospital admissions for ambulatory care sensitive conditions: controlled longitudinal study

OBJECTIVE

To estimate the impact of a national primary care pay for performance scheme, the Quality and Outcomes Framework in England, on emergency hospital admissions for ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSCs).

DESIGN

Controlled longitudinal study.

SETTING

English National Health Service between 1998/99 and 2010/11.

PARTICIPANTS

Populations registered with each of 6975 family practices in England.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Year specific differences between trend adjusted emergency hospital admission rates for incentivised ACSCs before and after the introduction of the Quality and Outcomes Framework scheme and two comparators: non-incentivised ACSCs and non-ACSCs.

RESULTS

Incentivised ACSC admissions showed a relative reduction of 2.7% (95% confidence interval 1.6% to 3.8%) in the first year of the Quality and Outcomes Framework compared with ACSCs that were not incentivised. This increased to a relative reduction of 8.0% (6.9% to 9.1%) in 2010/11. Compared with conditions that are not regarded as being influenced by the quality of ambulatory care (non-ACSCs), incentivised ACSCs also showed a relative reduction in rates of emergency admissions of 2.8% (2.0% to 3.6%) in the first year increasing to 10.9% (10.1% to 11.7%) by 2010/11.

CONCLUSIONS

The introduction of a major national pay for performance scheme for primary care in England was associated with a decrease in emergency admissions for incentivised conditions compared with conditions that were not incentivised. Contemporaneous health service changes seem unlikely to have caused the sharp change in the trajectory of incentivised ACSC admissions immediately after the introduction of the Quality and Outcomes Framework. The decrease seems larger than would be expected from the changes in the process measures that were incentivised, suggesting that the pay for performance scheme may have had impacts on quality of care beyond the directly incentivised activities.

Detecting recurrent major depressive disorder within primary care rapidly and reliably using short questionnaire measures

BACKGROUND

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is often a chronic disorder with relapses usually detected and managed in primary care using a validated depression symptom questionnaire. However, for individuals with recurrent depression the choice of which questionnaire to use and whether a shorter measure could suffice is not established.

AIM

To compare the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale against shorter PHQ-derived measures for detecting episodes of DSM-IV major depression in primary care patients with recurrent MDD.

DESIGN AND SETTING

Diagnostic accuracy study of adults with recurrent depression in primary care predominantly from Wales

METHOD

Scores on each of the depression questionnaire measures were compared with the results of a semi-structured clinical diagnostic interview using Receiver Operating Characteristic curve analysis for 337 adults with recurrent MDD.

RESULTS

Concurrent questionnaire and interview data were available for 272 participants. The one-month prevalence rate of depression was 22.2%. The area under the curve (AUC) and positive predictive value (PPV) at the derived optimal cut-off value for the three longer questionnaires were comparable (AUC = 0.86-0.90, PPV = 49.4-58.4%) but the AUC for the PHQ-9 was significantly greater than for the PHQ-2. However, by supplementing the PHQ-2 score with items on problems concentrating and feeling slowed down or restless, the AUC (0.91) and the PPV (55.3%) were comparable with those for the PHQ-9.

CONCLUSION

A novel four-item PHQ-based questionnaire measure of depression performs equivalently to three longer depression questionnaires in identifying depression relapse in patients with recurrent MDD.

Incentivised case finding for depression in patients with chronic heart disease and diabetes in primary care: an ethnographic study

OBJECTIVE

To examine the process of case finding for depression in people with diabetes and coronary heart disease within the context of a pay-for-performance scheme.

DESIGN

Ethnographic study drawing on observations of practice routines and consultations, debriefing interviews with staff and patients and review of patient records.

SETTING

General practices in Leeds, UK.

PARTICIPANTS

12 purposively sampled practices with a total of 119 staff; 63 consultation observations and 57 patient interviews.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

Audio recorded consultations and interviews with patients and healthcare professionals along with observation field notes were thematically analysed. We assessed outcomes of case finding from patient records.

RESULTS

Case finding exacerbated the discordance between patient and professional agendas, the latter already dominated by the tightly structured and time-limited nature of chronic illness reviews. Professional beliefs and abilities affected how case finding was undertaken; there was uncertainty about how to ask the questions, particularly among nursing staff. Professionals were often wary of opening an emotional 'can of worms'. Subsequently, patient responses potentially suggesting emotional problems could be prematurely shut down by professionals. Patients did not understand why they were asked questions about depression. This sometimes led to defensive or even defiant answers to case finding. Follow-up of patients highlighted inconsistent systems and lines of communication for dealing with positive results on case finding.

CONCLUSIONS

Case finding does not fit naturally within consultations; both professional and patient reactions somewhat subverted the process recommended by national guidance. Quality improvement strategies will need to take account of our results in two ways. First, despite their apparent simplicity, the case finding questions are not consultation-friendly and acceptable alternative ways to raise the issue of depression need to be supported. Second, case finding needs to operate within structured pathways which can be accommodated within available systems and resources.

To score or not to score: a qualitative study on GPs views on the use of instruments for depression

BACKGROUND

To improve the detection, diagnosis and follow-up of depression in primary care patients, it has been proposed that GPs should employ assessment instruments as a complement to the consultation. However, most GPs do not use such instruments routinely.

OBJECTIVE

To explore perceptions of Swedish GPs on the use of instruments in the medical consultation.

METHODS

Twenty-seven GPs discussed in five focus groups that were digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed by systematic text condensation.

RESULTS

Six code groups emerged from the focus group discussions: (i) a perceived pressure from authorities and psychiatry to report depression scores; (ii) the scores were considered to be of limited value for the GP but could help the patient by facilitating sick leave compensation and hospitalization; (iii) instruments hampered the dialogue with the patient and non-verbal information was lost; (iv) the reliability of questionnaires was questioned; (v) instruments were seen as not fitting into primary care and GPs were uncertain how to use them and (vi) the main advantage of instruments was to promote communication with specific categories of patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Using instruments to obtain a quantitative score of depression was of no benefit to the GPs. Given the weak evidence for the clinical relevance of many instruments, there is little reason to introduce them into practice. However, the instruments can facilitate communication with external actors and specific groups of patients.

Stepped collaborative depression care: primary care results before and after implementation of a stepped collaborative depression programme

BACKGROUND

Numerous intensive research projects to assess the effects of stepped collaborative care (SCC) for depressed patients have been reported in primary care, yet it is unclear how SCC is sustained in usual care.

OBJECTIVE

To assess how SCC for depression is actually being used and how it performs in usual primary care by studying medical data that are routinely collected in family practice, outside the research setting.

METHODS

Retrospective before and after comparison of electronic medical records (EMR) regarding the implementation of an SCC depression programme in a large primary care organization from 2003 to 2012. Depression care parameters included prevalences, minimal interventions, Beck Depression Inventory-2 (BDI-2), antidepressants, referrals to psychologists and psychiatrists and primary health care consumption.

RESULTS

After programme implementation, differentiation between levels of depression severity increased, more patients were treated with minimal interventions and more patients were monitored with BDI-2. These effects occurred in both nonseverely and severely depressed patients, although they were larger for patients registered as nonseverely depressed. Antidepressant prescription rates and referral rates seemed not to have been influenced by the SCC programme. Health care consumption of the depressed patients increased significantly.

CONCLUSIONS

The depression care parameters changed to a different extent and at a different pace than after previous implementation initiatives. Future research should identify whether SCC uptake in primary care is best enhanced by intensive external guidance or by making care providers themselves responsible for the implementation. Analyses of EMR can be valuable in monitoring the implementation effects, especially after research projects are completed.