Increase Postpartum Depression Screening and Treatment

To assess possible areas of improvement, you will complete an assessment that asks to what extent you or your practice:

• develops processes to prompt screening for mood changes during pregnancy
• implements processes for screening for postpartum mood changes
• ensures that high-risk patients receive adequate support and education
• develops and implements referral plans for patients with positive PPD screening
• establishes processes for addressing gaps in the referral process

You will receive a report card that summarizes your or your practice’s performance relative to areas assessed. This serves as your baseline and guides development of your personalized action items.

Working with our expert faculty, we followed a Model for Improvement that outlines the aims of this program and its measures of success. We provide educational and practical interventions, but you can develop your own to meet your specific needs. Depending on your baseline assessment, interventions you can implement include:

• Enhanced training
• Use of a validated screening tool
• Integration of processes within your EMR
• Communication strategies
• Personalized action items to track based on the nuanced needs of your practice
• Patient education

Once you’ve finished the interventions and have introduced the recommended process changes, it’s time to put them to the test!

• Return to this digital QI portal after a minimum of 30 days
• Re-assess your action plan to see what improvements were realized
• Complete a personal reflection
• Get your certificate

We recommend you share these findings with key stakeholders in your organization to reflect on ongoing improvements and/or future opportunities.