Depression is a global problem accounting for the leading cause of disability. Patients with undiagnosed and untreated depression experience a decrease in quality of life. They experience higher health care costs, and ultimately a higher risk for suicide. The United States is not immune from widespread depression, and suicide is in the top ten causes of death for Americans of all ages. In Utah, those numbers increase from the national averages, and many resources and programs are directed at adolescents for which suicide is the leading cause of death. While these resources are beneficial, late-life depression is also a significant problem, and faces different barriers. Late-life depression is often undetected due to generational stigma of depression, beliefs that depressive symptoms are part of the normal aging process, and a lack of resources or use of routine screening tools. Depression can only be treated if the signs and symptoms are detected and addressed. Evidence-based practice exists to help clinicians identify proven ways to detect depression. Healthcare organizations such Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the United States Preventative Services Task Force make recommendations in screening for depression in older adults. These recommendations include the routine use of an evidence-based screening tool in primary care. These recommendations were utilized in planning, implementation, and evaluation of this quality improvement project, while Jean Watson’s Theory of Human Caring was used to guide intention. The clinical question used in this project hypothesized the routine use of a recommended depression-screening tool for older adults leads to more frequent detection of depression.
