Educating Primary Care Providers on Postpartum Depression Screening in Rural Arizona

Abstract

Purpose. The purpose of this DNP project is to educate rural primary care providers and staff on postpartum depression (PPD) and implement the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Screening tool (EPDS) in the San Pedro Clinic in Benson, Arizona. Background. PPD is a common complication of pregnancy and rural communities are at an increased risk for PPD due to limited resources and providers. If PPD goes untreated it can impair the maternal-newborn bond, decrease breastfeeding, increase the risk for paternal depression, and adversely affect the cognitive and physical development of the newborn. There is a need to educate primary care providers working in rural clinics to increase PPD screening. Methods. A pre-/post-education survey was administered to the healthcare providers and staff at San Pedro Clinic after an educational presentation was given on PPD highlighting risk factors, screening tools, and evidence-based practice. The EPDS tool was implemented into the charting system and the total number of uses four weeks after the educational presentation was assessed. Descriptive statistics were analyzed to measure pre- and post-education findings. Conclusion. This project increased provider awareness, knowledge, confidence, and intent to screen for PPD through post-education surveys. However, during the four-week trial phase, the EPDS tool was not utilized. Some of the barriers that were noted included limited pediatric interactions daily, adopting a new procedure, and the inability to provide electronic reminders.