Health and Medical Administration Commons^™

Improving Mental Health Access Through Primary Care: Implementation Of A Generalized Anxiety Disorder Screening And Specialist Referral Protocol​, Sydney L. Halliday, Jeremy Mills, Ashley Vasilik

Graduate Publications and Other Selected Works - Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Abstract

Background: One in five rural residents experience anxiety. Specialty mental health services are often scarce in these communities, leading primary care providers (PCPs) to manage and treat these symptoms. This poses barriers to care, such as time constraints that delay the identification of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and referrals to mental health services.

Local Problem: This project aimed to address this high prevalence of anxiety among patients at a Tennessee primary care clinic without a GAD screening and referral process. The GAD Screening and Specialty Referral Toolkit was created with the aim to screen 60% of patients presenting for …

Clinical Practice Guideline For The Management Of Depression In Primary Care, Estrella Catherine Villarreal

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of depression poses a significant challenge in primary care, emphasizing the urgent need to address this issue during patient visits. Primary care providers are at the forefront of managing depression, yet they encounter difficulties in screening, diagnosing, assessing, and treating this complex condition. Clinical guidelines serve as valuable tools for primary care providers and practices, offering support in identifying and addressing depression effectively. An evidence-based approach to treating depression in primary care, with a focus on collaborative interventions with behavioral health to enhance depression management for American Indian/Alaskan Native (AI/AN) communities.

Methods: The descriptive analysis was …

Implementation Of An Evidence-Based Diabetic Screening Tool In Rural Belizean Communities, Morgan Lee Taylor, Annelyse Caffrey

Graduate Publications and Other Selected Works - Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Significance/Background: Type II Diabetes Mellitus (TIIDM) is a growing epidemic in Belize. The prevalence is increasing yearly, responsible for considerable health complications and deaths. Rates are much higher in Belize than in any other developing Central American country, and many rural citizens are undiagnosed and untreated. Access to healthcare is complex, and travel is often required in rural areas. Primary care visits in Belize are significantly less than in surrounding North and Central American countries. As a result, chronic illnesses such as TIIDM often go undiagnosed among children, adolescents, and adults- leaving TIIDM a leading cause of death in Belize. …

Screening For Social Determinants Of Health In The Primary Care Setting: A Quality Improvement Project, Winifred Ann Shouse

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Social determinants of health are the conditions in which individuals are born, age, work, and live that affect health status and outcomes (Rivich et al., 2019). These social and environmental factors can create barriers to patients being able to access and adhere to recommendations for chronic disease management (Gold, et al., 2019). Communication gaps between patients and primary care providers make it challenging for healthcare providers to be completely aware of the financial burdens their patients encounter (Patel et al., 2016). Research supports that identifying and addressing the barriers related to social determinants of health can improve the management of …

Implementation Of Standardized Hereditary Breast And Ovarian Cancer (Hboc) Risk Assessment And Genetic Referral, Melissa M. Hessock, Tracy L. Brewer, Sadie Hutson

Graduate Publications and Other Selected Works - Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Objective: To increase identification and genetic referral rates for women at risk of Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer (HBOC).

Design: Evidence-based practice improvement initiative

Setting/Local Problem: Private suburban OB/GYN practice in Tennessee with no standardized process for HBOC risk assessment or genetic referral.

Participants: Women age 18 or older, presenting for routine well-woman visits.

Intervention/Measurements: Using PDSA (plan-do-study-act) cycles, a familial risk assessment tool was selected, and a clinical decision-making algorithm for risk assessment and genetic referral was designed and implemented for use in well-woman encounters. Pre-implementation and post-implementation risk identification and referral rates were …