Depression Guidelines

Goal

To provide consistent and effective treatment for patients diagnosed with depression.

Target Population

All clients diagnosed with depression and treated at your practice

Reason Identified

Due to the prevalence of adults diagnosed with depression, CONCERN® and an MCO formed a partnership to educate and monitor treatment provided by psychiatrists and primary care physicians. The guideline is based on the Clinical Practice Guidelines for Major Depression Disorder published by the American Psychiatric Association.

Primary Elements

1. Patients diagnosed with depression utilizing the DSM-IV (criteria designed to improve the reliability of diagnosis)
2. Patients also screened for chemical dependency issues
3. Patients who have three follow-up appointments with the psychiatrist during the first twelve months of treatment
4. Patients treated with antidepressant medication for 12 weeks
5. Patients treated with antidepressant medication for 6 months

Depression Fact Sheet

Clinical exceptions to the Depression guideline will be reviewed by a Behavioral Health Management Medical Director.