Summary
The objective of the program was to increase nursing home (NH) capability in using quality improvement (QI) processes and to improve depression assessment and management among residents in nursing facilities through focused mentorship and team building. This was a 6-month intervention with five components: facilitated collection of Minimum Data Set (MDS) 3.0 nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and medication data for diagnostic interpretation; education and modeling on QI approaches, team building, and non-pharmacological depression care; mentored team meetings; educational webinars; and technical assistance. Competency self-ratings improved on four depression care measures. Mentors observed improvement in team process and enthusiasm during team meetings. For 336 residents with PHQ-9 and medication data, depression scores did not change while medication use declined, from 37.2% of residents at baseline to 31.0% at 9 months. This structured mentoring program improved care processes, achieved medication reductions, and was well received. Application to other NH-prevalent syndromes is possible.