VETERAN DEPRESSION SCREENING: A CIPP PROGRAM EVALUATION IN A LONG- TERM COMMUNITY LIVING CENTER

ABSTRACTVelgan M. Rodriguez Kata: Veteran Depression Screening: A CIPP Program Evaluation in a Long-Term Community Living Center(Under the direction of Rebecca Kitzmiller) United States veterans experience higher rates of mental health illness than those in the general population (Reisman, 2016). Following guidelines established by The United States Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF, 2016) for adult depression screening in primary care settings, annual screening for depression is the VA standard of care (policy reference number 558-19-116.7), and an expectation of health care payers, including CMS (MDS 3.0 Frequency Report, 2021) for long term care residents. This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project evaluated the consistency and effectiveness of depression screening among Durham VA Health Care System Community Living Center (DVAHCS CLC) residents using the Context, Input, Process, and Product (CIPP) model. All admissions from January to December 2021 were examined to determine depression screening rates, electronic health record depression screening documentation, rates of depression among residents, and depression plan on care. The project found that depression screening routinely occurred across residents, however, documentation required MDS nurses, those tasked with screening, to document in two systems (CMS mandated MDS 3.0 and the VA’s CPRS) and may have contributed to inconsistent CPRS documentation. From CPRS documentation alone, it was difficult to determine if important screening conducted by well-trained MDS nurses impacted patient care. Based on these data and in collaboration with DVAHCS CLC stakeholders, recommendations focused on opportunities to integrate MDS nurse assessments (i.e., functional, medical, psychosocial, and cognitive) into CPRS, the EHR used by the majority of CLC staff, a strategy that holds the potential to benefit veteran residents and the care team.Keywords: Depression, screening, MDS 3.0, program evaluationDoctor of Nursing Practic