Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the rate of depression screening among patients, aged 19 and older, seen at a community health center, while referencing to US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) screening recommendations.
Methods: A random sample of 500 patients, aged 19 and older, were extracted from the total number of patients seen at the community health center, between December 1, 2013, and April 30, 2014. The rate of depression screening was calculated by analyzing the completed standardized screening questionnaires (Patient Health Questionnaire 2).
Results: On analysis, it was found that 14.6% of patients were screened for depression. The rate of screening for males was 8.4% and for females it was 17.5%. The race with the highest rate of screening was Asian at 23.2%, and the lowest rate was white at 12.8%.
Conclusion: The studied community health center had a suboptimal rate of depression screening at 14.6%. The USPSTF recommends depression screening on all adults. Addressing barriers to screening including patient education, provider education, system practices, and provision of resources may help improve the rate of depression screening, leading to early treatment and better health outcomes.
Keywords: community health; community health centers; health outcomes; prevention; primary care.