Increasing the Incidence of Perinatal Depression Screening among Women Who Are Pregnant

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this quality improvement project was to educate obstetric healthcare providers and medical assistants at the Providence Santa Monica OB/GYN outpatient clinic on the benefits of increasing the incidences of screening for perinatal depression for pregnant women using the EPDS screening tool. Background: Evidence estimates that approximately one in seven women encounter perinatal depression during pregnancy. Increasing the screening incidence for perinatal depression during pregnancy may help identify more women at risk throughout the pregnancy, decrease the risk of adverse outcomes including psychotic symptoms, suicidal ideation, neonaticide, developmental delays, and behavioral issues in the child because of a lack of bonding marital discord and improve patient outcomes. Methods: A project design was created using the Model for Improvements Plan Do Study Act Model that aims to evaluate providers current perinatal screening practices, educate voluntary providers and medical assistants on the importance of increasing of incidence of screening for perinatal depression during pregnancy using the EPDS screening tool, implement a one week trial of the proposed perinatal screening protocol with providers at a local obstetric clinic, and evaluate the intent of providers at the local clinic to adopt the newly proposed perinatal screening protocol into practice. Results: Seven participants attended the quality improvement educational presentation. Seven completed the pretest and six completed the posttest. Key findings illustrated that an educational intervention enhanced providers' knowledge and comfort level in screening with the EPDS, interpreting, and treating patients with perinatal depression. Conclusions: Perinatal depression is a mood disorder that is undiagnosed and continues to have a high prevalence rate amongst pregnant women worldwide. The educational intervention maintained the number of participants who were willing to screen for perinatal depression twice during pregnancy in the future. Increasing the incidence of perinatal depression screenings during pregnancy would be beneficial because it will identify patients with a positive screening to start early treatment to improve patient outcomes.