• Mental Health - Aims & Measures  

Aims and Measures

Module Aims

The aims of this module are to:

• Enhance physician skills in the diagnosis and treatment of mental health conditions, using depression as a lens
• Increase physician confidence in the mental health diagnosis and treatment of patients using evidence-informed strategies and tools
• Improve patient experience
• Improve patient engagement in self-management of mental health concerns
• Increase physicians' knowledge and awareness of community mental health resources for patients
• Increase physician ability to develop appropriate action plan/care plans, from simple to complex
• Improve MOA confidence and experience in their work with patients with mental health concerns
• Improve family physician collaboration with psychiatrists and mental health clinicians in the community

Practice Aims

To achieve these module aims, the care for patients with mental health problems can be redesigned by primary practices using the mental health change package, through:

• Increased use of screening tools and the diagnostic assessment interview
• Increased development of a problem list action plan
• Increased use of one or more of the three CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) options, in addition to the use of medications for treatment

Practice Measures

The specific measures for the clinical practice are to:

• Use the PHQ-9 assessment tool with at least 20 patients with potential mental health problems
• Conduct a second PHQ-9 assessment within 3-6 months for 95% of those patients in this group
• Use the Diagnostic Assessment Interview in at least 10 patients with a positive PHQ-9
• Document suicide risk assessment in the patient chart if the suicide question on the PHQ-9 or Diagnostic Assessment Interview was positive
• Develop a problem list for 10 patients with an Axis 1 diagnosis
• Develop a resource list for 10 patients with an Axis 1 diagnosis
• Develop an action plan from the problem list for 10 patients with an Axis 1 diagnosis
• Use skills from the Cognitive Behaviourial Interpersonal Skills (CBIS) Manual with 10 patients with mental health problems
• Refer 10 patients, screened as having mild/moderate depression, to the Bounce Back program
• Offer the Antidepressant Skills Workbook  and provide some coaching to 10 patients screened as having depression