1007 — Four Views of a Depression Quality Improvement (QI) Intervention: Qualitative Description, QI Findings, Economic Data and Trial Results

Rubenstein L ( Sepulveda VA HSR&D CoE for the Study for Healthcare Provider Behavior), Fickel J ( Sepulveda VA HSR&D CoE for the Study for Healthcare Provider Behavior), Liu CF (Northwest HSR&D CoE, VAPSHS, Seattle Division), Chaney EF (Northwest HSR&D CoE, VAPSHS, Seattle Division)

Objectives:
The TIDES project used Evidence-Based Quality Improvement (EBQI) methods in three VISNs to design and implement depression care improvements in VA primary care practices. Technical expert consultants from the research team actively supported VISN leaders in understanding, adapting, and applying research evidence on effective care models for depression within the context of usual VA standard operating procedures, informatics, staffing methods, and primary care, mental health specialty, nursing, and veteran patient cultures. TIDES is now a standard component of VA’s national mental health/primary care integration process, which sponsors ongoing TIDES activities nationally. Researchers studied TIDES based on qualitative and quantitative data from four related Mental Health-QUERI projects from 2001 to the present, providing a rich opportunity to understand the contributions of the different views of the project provided by four different kinds of data. The objectives of the workshop are to consider: how different kinds of data broaden the view of the implementation process; the implications of the data for supporting TIDES sustainability and spread; how the findings should influence VA’s mental health/primary care initiative; and any applications of the lessons learned to audience members’ planned or in-progress implementation and evaluation activities.

Activities:
Workshop leaders (a qualitative researcher, an economist, a primary care clinician, and a mental health specialist) active in initiating the TIDES project will present short summaries of qualitative, quality improvement, economic, and randomized trial data. They will then engage the audience in developing recommendations for VA health services research and VA’s mental health/primary care initiative based on what they have learned.

Target Audience:
The target audience includes managers, researchers, and clinicians interested in implementing and evaluating research-based care models in routine practice.

Assumed Audience Familiarity with Topic:
We assume general familiarity with the challenges of quality improvement intervention and evaluation. No prerequisites necessary.