Asthma is a disease that compromises the airways of the respiratory system, and is a prominent reason for hospitalization and emergency care needs. Over 6.1 million children are estimated to suffer from asthma. Asthmatic patients at an urban pediatric hospital emergency department (ED) were found to have higher revisit rates than the national average for large urban hospitals. The lack of a clinical guideline for educating families in patient care management at home could have contributed to readmission rates. The purpose of this project was to develop an evidence-based pediatric asthma education clinical guideline to aide healthcare providers with discharge education and home management of the pediatric asthmatic patient. The practice question that guided this project focused on discovering what evidence-based pediatric asthma guidelines could be found in the literature for providing discharge education instructions for the pediatric asthma patient from which the guideline for the ED could be developed. The appraisal of guidelines research and evaluation II instrument was used to guide and score the project. An expert panel consisting of the nurse educator of the ED and medical directors of the ED and Pulmonology scored the guideline resulting in an overall score of 83%. The experts recommended the guideline without modification. Providing families with education on home patient management might enable caretakers to identify problems, recognize potential exacerbations, and prevent return visits to the ED, resulting in social change by improving the wellbeing of pediatric patients with asthma and their families.

Referrals to the Halifax Infirmary Neurosurgery Department are submitted with regards to spinal conditions with different degrees of complications. Although there exists a Spinal Condition Consultation Protocol to standardize spinal referrals, the information provided from referring physicians is frequently inadequate to accurately triage the patient's condition, partly due to missing diagnostic therapies. The Neurosurgery Department receives a high volume of referrals each year, which imposes a significant administrative workload on the staff. We propose to develop a protocol-driven decision support system to: 1) Provide primary care physicians with timely access to condition specific consultation treatment protocols; and 2) Automate the referral assessment process to eliminate processing delays and administration burden. To this aim, we transformed the Consultation Protocol into a semantic knowledgebase. The decision support services are integrated within a standardized electronic referral system. We believe this system can significantly improve the referral process at the Neurosurgery Division.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / Literature on post-operative pain indicates that post-operative pain is inadequately managed in many countries including Ghana. Little was also known about post-operative pain (POP) response and management in Ghana. This study sought to describe post-operative pain response and management among Ghanaian surgical nurses and post-operative patients within the medico-socio-cultural context. It also explored factors that influenced POP response and management and subsequently aimed to develop clinical guidelines within which post-operative pain could be managed in the medico-socio-cultural context. Research questions answered included: „what are the factors influencing post-operative pain responses among surgical patients and nurses; what clinical guidelines would be appropriate to guide post-operative pain management within the medico-socio-cultural context of Ghana?‟The study was designed as a multi-step focused ethnography which allowed the exploration of a specific sub-culture such as the surgical environment. The philosophical underpinnings of ethnography permit the investigator to use different data collection methods to fully understand the phenomenon investigated. Data collection during the ethnographic exploration phase involved individual interviews, clinical observations, and review of patients‟ clinical charts. At the stage of guideline development, data was collected through participant/expert review, systematic literature review, and consensus forum. Participants were sampled purposively and included 53 interview participants, 27 expert reviewers, and 29 consensus panel members. Also, there were 16 sections of clinical observation and review of 44 charts. The participants included nurses, patients and their relatives, the multidisciplinary team, key informants, experts, and stakeholders. The study was conducted at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) and Ridge Hospital, in Accra, Ghana. Appropriate ethical clearance was sought and individual informed consent was obtained.Concurrent analysis of data was done applying the principles of thematic content analysis and data was managed with NVivo 9. Themes that emerged from the patients‟ data were subjectivism which described pain dimensions and expressions and factors that influenced patients‟ pain experience were psycho-socio-cultural factors such as personal inclinations and socio-cultural background; and health system factors such as personnel attitude and health financing.The study also found that nurses perceived POP as an individual phenomenon and responded to pain by administering analgesics and by employing non-pharmacologic measures such as positioning and reassurance. Factors that influenced the nurses‟ pain response were individual factors such as commitment, discretion, and fear of addiction; and organizational factors such as organizational laxity and challenges of teamwork. Patients‟ relatives were also influenced by empathy, faith, and commitment to care for their post-operative patients. The multidisciplinary team and key informants were influenced by knowledge and experience in their respective specialty areas. Subsequently, the clinical guideline developed had four dimensions which highlighted patient and family education,effective teamwork, effective leadership and monitoring, and use of contemporary evidence for POP management.The study recommended that health professionals should be conscious of the subjectivenature of pain and they should educate and involve the patient on pain management decisions. Also, hospital leadership and the multidisciplinary team should be actively involved in pain management.

Evidence-based guidelines are important sources of knowledge in everyday clinical practice. In 2005, the German Society for Urology decided to develop a highquality evidence-based guideline for the early detection, diagnosis and treatment of the different clinical manifestations of prostate cancer. The guideline project started in 2005 and involved 75 experts from 10 different medical societies or medical organizations including a patient organization. The guideline was issued in September 2009 and consists of 8 chapters, 170 recommendations, and 42 statements. Due to the broad spectrum of clinical questions covered by the guideline and the high number of participating organizations and authors, the organizers faced several methodological and organizational challenges. This article describes the methods used in the development of the guideline and highlights critical points and challenges in the development process. Strategies to overcome these problems are suggested which might be beneficial in the development of new evidence-based guidelines in the future. / Evidenzbasierte Leitlinien sind wichtige Quellen komprimierten Wissens für die tägliche klinische Praxis. Die Deutsche Gesellschaft für Urologie beschloss im Jahr 2005, eine qualitativ hochwertige evidenzbasierte Leitlinie zur Früherkennung, Diagnose und Behandlung der verschiedenen klinischen Manifestationen des Prostatakarzinoms zu erstellen. Das Leitlinienprojekt begann im Jahr 2005 unter Mitwirkung von 75 Experten und Patientenvertretern aus 10 verschiedenen Fachgesellschaften und Organisationen. Die Leitlinie wurde im September 2009 veröffentlicht und besteht aus 8 Kapiteln mit insgesamt 170 Empfehlungen und 42 Statements. Das breite thematische Spektrum der Leitlinie und die hohe Zahl teilnehmender Autoren und Organisationen stellten die Organisatoren vor verschiedene methodische und logistische Herausforderungen. Dieser Beitrag stellt die angewendete Methodik bei der Leitlinienerstellung dar und betont kritische Punkte und Probleme der Erstellung. Die beschriebenen Lösungsansätze können bei der Planung und Durchführung künftiger evidenzbasierter Leitlinienprojekte hilfreich sein. / Dieser Beitrag ist mit Zustimmung des Rechteinhabers aufgrund einer (DFG-geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich.

Background: We aimed to update the 2010 evidence- and consensus-based national clinical guideline on the diagnosis and management of uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs) in adult patients. Results are published in 2 parts. Part 1 covers methods, the definition of patient groups, and diagnostics. This second publication focuses on treatment of acute episodes of cystitis and pyelonephritis as well as on prophylaxis of recurrent UTIs. Materials and Methods: An interdisciplinary group consisting of 17 representatives of 12 medical societies and a patient representative was formed. Systematic literature searches were conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library to identify literature published in 2010–2015. Results: For the treatment of acute uncomplicated cystitis (AUC), fosfomycin-trometamol, nitrofurantoin, nitroxoline, pivmecillinam, and trimethoprim (depending on the local rate of resistance) are all equally recommended. Cotrimoxazole, fluoroquinolones, and cephalosporins are not recommended as antibiotics of first choice, for concern of an unfavorable impact on the microbiome. Mild to moderate uncomplicated pyelonephritis should be treated with oral cefpodoxime, ceftibuten, ciprofloxacin, or levofloxacin. For AUC with mild to moderate symptoms, instead of antibiotics symptomatic treatment alone may be considered depending on patient preference after discussing adverse events and outcomes. Primarily non-antibiotic options are recommended for prophylaxis of recurrent urinary tract infection. Conclusion: In accordance with the global antibiotic stewardship initiative and considering new insights in scientific research, we updated our German clinical UTI guideline to promote a responsible antibiotic use and to give clear hands-on recommendations for the diagnosis and management of UTIs in adults in Germany for healthcare providers and patients.

Evidence-based guidelines are important sources of knowledge in everyday clinical practice. In 2005, the German Society for Urology decided to develop a highquality evidence-based guideline for the early detection, diagnosis and treatment of the different clinical manifestations of prostate cancer. The guideline project started in 2005 and involved 75 experts from 10 different medical societies or medical organizations including a patient organization. The guideline was issued in September 2009 and consists of 8 chapters, 170 recommendations, and 42 statements. Due to the broad spectrum of clinical questions covered by the guideline and the high number of participating organizations and authors, the organizers faced several methodological and organizational challenges. This article describes the methods used in the development of the guideline and highlights critical points and challenges in the development process. Strategies to overcome these problems are suggested which might be beneficial in the development of new evidence-based guidelines in the future. / Evidenzbasierte Leitlinien sind wichtige Quellen komprimierten Wissens für die tägliche klinische Praxis. Die Deutsche Gesellschaft für Urologie beschloss im Jahr 2005, eine qualitativ hochwertige evidenzbasierte Leitlinie zur Früherkennung, Diagnose und Behandlung der verschiedenen klinischen Manifestationen des Prostatakarzinoms zu erstellen. Das Leitlinienprojekt begann im Jahr 2005 unter Mitwirkung von 75 Experten und Patientenvertretern aus 10 verschiedenen Fachgesellschaften und Organisationen. Die Leitlinie wurde im September 2009 veröffentlicht und besteht aus 8 Kapiteln mit insgesamt 170 Empfehlungen und 42 Statements. Das breite thematische Spektrum der Leitlinie und die hohe Zahl teilnehmender Autoren und Organisationen stellten die Organisatoren vor verschiedene methodische und logistische Herausforderungen. Dieser Beitrag stellt die angewendete Methodik bei der Leitlinienerstellung dar und betont kritische Punkte und Probleme der Erstellung. Die beschriebenen Lösungsansätze können bei der Planung und Durchführung künftiger evidenzbasierter Leitlinienprojekte hilfreich sein. / Dieser Beitrag ist mit Zustimmung des Rechteinhabers aufgrund einer (DFG-geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich.

Bakgrund: Ventilatorassocierad pneumoni, VAP, är en vårdrelaterad infektion inom intensivvården som ökar mortaliteten och vårdkostnaden. För att förebygga VAP finns olika åtgärder som beskrivs i kliniska riktlinjer. Dessa finns som stöd för hälso- och sjukvårdspersonal för att öka patientsäkerheten. I dagsläget finns inga nationella eller internationella VAP-förebyggande riktlinjer. Syfte: Syftet är att kvalitetsgranska och jämföra svenska intensivvårdsavdelningars lokala kliniska riktlinjer gällande VAP-förebyggande åtgärder för vuxna. Metod: Kvantitativ deskriptiv studie. De lokala kliniska riktlinjerna kvalitetsgranskades med hjälp av kvalitétbedömningsinstrumentet AGREE II.  Resultat: Totalt kvalitetsgranskades och jämfördes 34% (n=27) av Sveriges intensivvårdsavdelningars lokala kliniska riktlinjer gällande VAP-förebyggande åtgärder. Alla granskade lokala kliniska riktlinjerna var av låg kvalité. Den låga kvalitén var bland annat orsakad av låg noggrannhet vid framställningen av riktlinjen [md=5] och lågt redaktionellt oberoendet [md=0]. I jämförelsen av VAP-förebyggande åtgärderna beskrev 93–100% (n=25–27) av riktlinjerna möjlighet till subglottisaspiration, kufftryck mellan 25–30 cmH2O, höjd huvudända eller tippning till 30–45 grader och skriftliga rutiner.  Slutsats: Sveriges intensivvårdsavdelningars granskade lokala kliniska riktlinjer gällande förebyggande av ventilatorassocierad pneumoni, VAP, var av låg kvalité. De innehåller en stor variation av VAP-förebyggande åtgärder, som i vissa fall var motsägande.  Det finns behov av en uppdaterad och evidensbaserade nationell eller internationell klinisk riktlinje gällande förebyggande av VAP. Detta för att säkra patientsäkerheten på Sveriges intensivvårdsavdelningar. / Background: Ventilator associated-pneumonia, VAP is a hospital acquired-infection that increases the mortality and the healthcare cost in the intensive care. There are different methods to prevent VAP. These methods are described in clinical guidelines. These guidelines are there to support healthcare professionals and to increase patient safety. There exist no national or international clinical guidelines for VAP-preventions. Aim: The aim is to quality appraise and compare Swedish intensive care units´ local clinical guidelines of VAP-prevention for adults.  Method: A quantitative descriptive study. The local clinical guidelines were appraised with the qualitative appraisal instrument AGREE-II.  Main result: In total 34% (n=27) of the Swedish intensive care units clinical guidelines for VAP-preventions were quality appraised and compared. All reviewed local clinical guidelines were of low quality. The low quality was caused by low accuracy in the preparation of the guideline [md=5] and low editorial independence [md=0]. In the comparison of VAP-preventions 93–100% (n=25–27) of the clinical guidelines described the possibility of subglottic aspiration, cuff-pressure between 25–35 cmH20, elevated head of the bed to 30–45 degrees and written guidelines.  Conclusion: The local Swedish intensive care units reviewed clinical guidelines for prevention of ventilator associated pneumonia, VAP had low quality.  They included a large variation of different VAP-preventions, and some of the preventions were contradictory. There is a need for an updated and evidence based national or international clinical guideline to prevent VAP. There is a need to ensure the patient safety in Sweden's intensive care units.

Contexte De nombreuses études, utilisant des indicateurs de qualité variés, ont démontré que la qualité des soins pour la dépression n’est pas optimale en première ligne. Peu de ces études ont examiné les facteurs associés à la réception d’un traitement adéquat, en particulier en tenant compte simultanément des caractéristiques individuelles et organisationnelles. L'association entre un traitement adéquat pour un épisode dépressif majeur (EDM) et une amélioration des symptômes dépressifs n'est pas bien établie dans des conditions non-expérimentales. Les objectifs de cette étude étaient de : 1) réaliser une revue systématique des indicateurs mesurant la qualité du traitement de la dépression en première ligne ; 2) estimer la proportion de patients souffrant d’EDM qui reçoivent un traitement adéquat (selon les guides de pratique clinique) en première ligne ; 3) examiner les caractéristiques individuelles et organisationnelles associées à l’adéquation du traitement pour la dépression ; 4) examiner l'association entre un traitement minimalement adéquat au cours des 12 mois précédents et l'évolution des symptômes dépressifs à 6 et 12 mois. Méthodes La littérature sur la qualité du traitement de la dépression a été examinée en utilisant un ensemble de mots-clés (« depression », « depressive disorder », « quality », « treatment », « indicator », « adequacy », « adherence », « concordance », « clinical guideline » et « guideline ») et « 360search », un moteur de recherche fédérée. Les données proviennent d'une étude de cohorte incluant 915 adultes consultant un médecin généraliste, quel que soit le motif de consultation, répondant aux critères du DSM-IV pour l’EDM dans la dernière année, nichés dans 65 cliniques de première ligne au Québec, Canada. Des analyses multiniveaux ont été réalisées. Résultats Bien que majoritairement développés à partir de guides de pratique clinique, une grande variété d'indicateurs a été observée dans la revue systématique de littérature. La plupart des études retenues ont utilisé des indicateurs de qualité rudimentaires, surtout pour la psychothérapie. Les méthodes utilisées étaient très variées, limitant la comparabilité des résultats. Toutefois, quelque soit la méthode choisie, la plupart des études ont révélé qu’une grande proportion des personnes souffrant de dépression n’ont pas reçu de traitement minimalement adéquat en première ligne. Dans notre échantillon, l’adéquation était élevée (> 75 %) pour un tiers des indicateurs de qualité mesurés, mais était faible (< 60 %) pour près de la moitié des mesures. Un peu plus de la moitié de l'échantillon (52,2 %) a reçu au moins un traitement minimalement adéquat pour la dépression. Au niveau individuel, les jeunes adultes (18-24 ans) et les personnes de plus de 65 ans avaient une probabilité moins élevée de recevoir un traitement minimalement adéquat. Cette probabilité était plus élevée pour ceux qui ont un médecin de famille, une assurance complémentaire, un trouble anxieux comorbide et une dépression plus sévère. Au niveau des cliniques, la disponibilité de la psychothérapie sur place, l'utilisation d'algorithmes de traitement, et le mode de rémunération perçu comme adéquat étaient associés à plus de traitement adéquat. Les résultats ont également montré que 1) la réception d'au moins un traitement minimalement adéquat pour la dépression était associée à une plus grande amélioration des symptômes dépressifs à 6 et à 12 mois; 2) la pharmacothérapie adéquate et la psychothérapie adéquate étaient toutes deux associées à de plus grandes améliorations dans les symptômes dépressifs, et 3) l'association entre un traitement adéquat et l'amélioration des symptômes dépressifs varie en fonction de la sévérité des symptômes au moment de l'inclusion dans la cohorte, un niveau de symptômes plus élevé étant associé à une amélioration plus importante à 6 et à 12 mois. Conclusions Nos résultats suggèrent que des interventions sont nécessaires pour améliorer la qualité du traitement de la dépression en première ligne. Ces interventions devraient cibler des populations spécifiques (les jeunes adultes et les personnes âgées), améliorer l'accessibilité à la psychothérapie et à un médecin de famille, et soutenir les médecins de première ligne dans leur pratique clinique avec des patients souffrant de dépression de différentes façons, telles que le développement des connaissances pour traiter la dépression et l'adaptation du mode de rémunération. Cette étude montre également que le traitement adéquat de la dépression en première ligne est associé à une amélioration des symptômes dépressifs dans des conditions non-expérimentales. / Background Numerous studies, using a variety of quality indicators, highlight an important gap in the quality of care for depression in primary care. Few of these studies examined factors associated with receiving adequate treatment, particularly with a simultaneous consideration of individual and organizational characteristics. The association between adequate treatment for a Major Depressive Episode (MDE) and improvements in depressive symptoms is not well established in naturalistic practice conditions. The objectives of this study were to i) systematically review indicators used to measure the quality of depression treatment in primary care, ii) estimate the proportion of primary care patients with a MDE who receive adequate treatment, iii) examine the individual and organizational characteristics associated with the receipt of minimally adequate treatment for depression, iv) examine the association between receiving minimally adequate treatment for MDE (i.e. according to clinical guidelines) in the previous 12 months and evolution of depressive symptoms at 6 and 12 months. Methods The literature on the quality of depression treatment was reviewed using a set of keywords (depression, depressive disorder, quality, treatment, indicator, adequacy, adherence, concordance, clinical guideline and guideline) and « 360search », a federated search engine. Data were obtained from a cohort study including 915 adults consulting a general practitioner (GP), regardless of the motive of consultation, meeting DSM-IV criteria for previous-year MDE, and nested within 65 primary care clinics in Quebec, Canada. Multilevel analyses were conducted. Results Though mostly based on recommendations from clinical practice guidelines, a great variety of indicators were observed. Most studies used rudimentary indicators to measure the quality of depression treatment, especially for psychotherapy. Studies also differed greatly with respect to the methods used, thus limiting the comparability of results. However, whatever the chosen method, most studies reveal that a large proportion of people with depression do not receive minimally adequate treatment in primary care settings. In our sample, adherence to guidelines was high (> 75 %) for one third of the quality indicators that were measured but was low (< 60 %) for nearly half of the measures. Just over half of the sample (52.2 %) received at least one minimally adequate treatment for depression. At the individual level, young adults (18-24) et older people (>65) had a lower probability of receiving at least one minimally adequate treatment. This probability was higher for people with a family physician, a supplementary insurance coverage, a comorbid anxiety disorder and a more severe depression. At the clinic level, the availability of psychotherapy on-site, the use of treatment algorithms, and the mode of remuneration perceived as adequate were associated with more adequate treatment. Results also showed that i) receiving at least one minimally adequate treatment for depression was associated with greater improvements in depression symptoms at 6 and at 12 months; ii) adequate pharmacotherapy and adequate psychotherapy were both associated with greater improvements in depression symptoms, and iii) the association between adequate treatment and improvement in depression symptoms varied as a function of severity of symptoms at the time of inclusion in the cohort with worse symptoms at the time of inclusion being associated with greater reductions at 6 and 12 months. Conclusions Our findings suggest that interventions are needed to increase the quality of depression treatment in primary care. These interventions should target specific populations (i.e. the younger adults and the elderly), enhance accessibility to psychotherapy and to a regular family physician, and support primary care physicians in their clinical practice with patients suffering from depression in different ways such as developing knowledge to treat depression and adapting mode of remuneration. This study also shows that adequate treatment for depression is associated with improvements in depressive symptoms in naturalistic primary care practice conditions.

Contexte De nombreuses études, utilisant des indicateurs de qualité variés, ont démontré que la qualité des soins pour la dépression n’est pas optimale en première ligne. Peu de ces études ont examiné les facteurs associés à la réception d’un traitement adéquat, en particulier en tenant compte simultanément des caractéristiques individuelles et organisationnelles. L'association entre un traitement adéquat pour un épisode dépressif majeur (EDM) et une amélioration des symptômes dépressifs n'est pas bien établie dans des conditions non-expérimentales. Les objectifs de cette étude étaient de : 1) réaliser une revue systématique des indicateurs mesurant la qualité du traitement de la dépression en première ligne ; 2) estimer la proportion de patients souffrant d’EDM qui reçoivent un traitement adéquat (selon les guides de pratique clinique) en première ligne ; 3) examiner les caractéristiques individuelles et organisationnelles associées à l’adéquation du traitement pour la dépression ; 4) examiner l'association entre un traitement minimalement adéquat au cours des 12 mois précédents et l'évolution des symptômes dépressifs à 6 et 12 mois. Méthodes La littérature sur la qualité du traitement de la dépression a été examinée en utilisant un ensemble de mots-clés (« depression », « depressive disorder », « quality », « treatment », « indicator », « adequacy », « adherence », « concordance », « clinical guideline » et « guideline ») et « 360search », un moteur de recherche fédérée. Les données proviennent d'une étude de cohorte incluant 915 adultes consultant un médecin généraliste, quel que soit le motif de consultation, répondant aux critères du DSM-IV pour l’EDM dans la dernière année, nichés dans 65 cliniques de première ligne au Québec, Canada. Des analyses multiniveaux ont été réalisées. Résultats Bien que majoritairement développés à partir de guides de pratique clinique, une grande variété d'indicateurs a été observée dans la revue systématique de littérature. La plupart des études retenues ont utilisé des indicateurs de qualité rudimentaires, surtout pour la psychothérapie. Les méthodes utilisées étaient très variées, limitant la comparabilité des résultats. Toutefois, quelque soit la méthode choisie, la plupart des études ont révélé qu’une grande proportion des personnes souffrant de dépression n’ont pas reçu de traitement minimalement adéquat en première ligne. Dans notre échantillon, l’adéquation était élevée (> 75 %) pour un tiers des indicateurs de qualité mesurés, mais était faible (< 60 %) pour près de la moitié des mesures. Un peu plus de la moitié de l'échantillon (52,2 %) a reçu au moins un traitement minimalement adéquat pour la dépression. Au niveau individuel, les jeunes adultes (18-24 ans) et les personnes de plus de 65 ans avaient une probabilité moins élevée de recevoir un traitement minimalement adéquat. Cette probabilité était plus élevée pour ceux qui ont un médecin de famille, une assurance complémentaire, un trouble anxieux comorbide et une dépression plus sévère. Au niveau des cliniques, la disponibilité de la psychothérapie sur place, l'utilisation d'algorithmes de traitement, et le mode de rémunération perçu comme adéquat étaient associés à plus de traitement adéquat. Les résultats ont également montré que 1) la réception d'au moins un traitement minimalement adéquat pour la dépression était associée à une plus grande amélioration des symptômes dépressifs à 6 et à 12 mois; 2) la pharmacothérapie adéquate et la psychothérapie adéquate étaient toutes deux associées à de plus grandes améliorations dans les symptômes dépressifs, et 3) l'association entre un traitement adéquat et l'amélioration des symptômes dépressifs varie en fonction de la sévérité des symptômes au moment de l'inclusion dans la cohorte, un niveau de symptômes plus élevé étant associé à une amélioration plus importante à 6 et à 12 mois. Conclusions Nos résultats suggèrent que des interventions sont nécessaires pour améliorer la qualité du traitement de la dépression en première ligne. Ces interventions devraient cibler des populations spécifiques (les jeunes adultes et les personnes âgées), améliorer l'accessibilité à la psychothérapie et à un médecin de famille, et soutenir les médecins de première ligne dans leur pratique clinique avec des patients souffrant de dépression de différentes façons, telles que le développement des connaissances pour traiter la dépression et l'adaptation du mode de rémunération. Cette étude montre également que le traitement adéquat de la dépression en première ligne est associé à une amélioration des symptômes dépressifs dans des conditions non-expérimentales. / Background Numerous studies, using a variety of quality indicators, highlight an important gap in the quality of care for depression in primary care. Few of these studies examined factors associated with receiving adequate treatment, particularly with a simultaneous consideration of individual and organizational characteristics. The association between adequate treatment for a Major Depressive Episode (MDE) and improvements in depressive symptoms is not well established in naturalistic practice conditions. The objectives of this study were to i) systematically review indicators used to measure the quality of depression treatment in primary care, ii) estimate the proportion of primary care patients with a MDE who receive adequate treatment, iii) examine the individual and organizational characteristics associated with the receipt of minimally adequate treatment for depression, iv) examine the association between receiving minimally adequate treatment for MDE (i.e. according to clinical guidelines) in the previous 12 months and evolution of depressive symptoms at 6 and 12 months. Methods The literature on the quality of depression treatment was reviewed using a set of keywords (depression, depressive disorder, quality, treatment, indicator, adequacy, adherence, concordance, clinical guideline and guideline) and « 360search », a federated search engine. Data were obtained from a cohort study including 915 adults consulting a general practitioner (GP), regardless of the motive of consultation, meeting DSM-IV criteria for previous-year MDE, and nested within 65 primary care clinics in Quebec, Canada. Multilevel analyses were conducted. Results Though mostly based on recommendations from clinical practice guidelines, a great variety of indicators were observed. Most studies used rudimentary indicators to measure the quality of depression treatment, especially for psychotherapy. Studies also differed greatly with respect to the methods used, thus limiting the comparability of results. However, whatever the chosen method, most studies reveal that a large proportion of people with depression do not receive minimally adequate treatment in primary care settings. In our sample, adherence to guidelines was high (> 75 %) for one third of the quality indicators that were measured but was low (< 60 %) for nearly half of the measures. Just over half of the sample (52.2 %) received at least one minimally adequate treatment for depression. At the individual level, young adults (18-24) et older people (>65) had a lower probability of receiving at least one minimally adequate treatment. This probability was higher for people with a family physician, a supplementary insurance coverage, a comorbid anxiety disorder and a more severe depression. At the clinic level, the availability of psychotherapy on-site, the use of treatment algorithms, and the mode of remuneration perceived as adequate were associated with more adequate treatment. Results also showed that i) receiving at least one minimally adequate treatment for depression was associated with greater improvements in depression symptoms at 6 and at 12 months; ii) adequate pharmacotherapy and adequate psychotherapy were both associated with greater improvements in depression symptoms, and iii) the association between adequate treatment and improvement in depression symptoms varied as a function of severity of symptoms at the time of inclusion in the cohort with worse symptoms at the time of inclusion being associated with greater reductions at 6 and 12 months. Conclusions Our findings suggest that interventions are needed to increase the quality of depression treatment in primary care. These interventions should target specific populations (i.e. the younger adults and the elderly), enhance accessibility to psychotherapy and to a regular family physician, and support primary care physicians in their clinical practice with patients suffering from depression in different ways such as developing knowledge to treat depression and adapting mode of remuneration. This study also shows that adequate treatment for depression is associated with improvements in depressive symptoms in naturalistic primary care practice conditions.

Background: Antenatal Psychosocial Assessment (APA) has recently been introduced into routine antenatal care, but the ways in which maternity service providers assess and respond to maternal stress are subject of debate. There is a lack of consensus on the instrument(s) of choice and lack of evidence regarding appropriate interventions. Further, national guidelines have not kept apace with the conceptual shift from ‘postnatal depression’ to ‘perinatal anxiety and depression’. Adopting the Medical Research Council Complex Interventions Framework, the ARMS research aimed to inform the development of interventions that support women who are experiencing, or at risk of, mild-moderate mental health disorder in pregnancy. Methods: A mixed methods approach was adopted. In the quantitative element (Study Part 1) participants (n=191) completed a questionnaire when attending for their first formal antenatal appointment, using a procedure and materials that had been previously tested in a pilot study. Details including mental health assessment and referrals were obtained from their health records, following delivery. In the qualitative element (Study Part 2) a sub-sample of women (n=22) experiencing high levels of maternal stress took part in up to three serial in-depth interviews during pregnancy and the early postnatal period.Findings: Maternal stress was found to be common. Using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) threshold of ≥10, approximately 1 in 4 women were classed as high depression (halving to 1 in 8 at the more conservative threshold of ≥13). Almost 1 in 3 women were classed as high anxiety, using the state scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S, threshold ≥41), compared with 1 in 5 using the two-item GAD (threshold ≥3). Fewer than half of the women identified as high anxiety were identified by both measures. Factor analyses of the symptom measures were consistent with wider literature suggesting a three-item anxiety component of the EPDS; however, concurrent validation using regression analyses did not indicate that the EPDS could be used as an anxiety case finding instrument. Women reported that maternal stress had significant impact on their lives that may not be captured with existing clinical approaches. Women commonly found it difficult to self-assess severity of maternal stress and the assessment process could itself act as an intervention. The research provided the first validation of the depression case finding questions in UK clinical practice. The Whooley items completed in clinical practice identified only half of the possible cases identified by the EPDS, at both commonly adopted EPDS thresholds. Inclusion of the Arroll 'help' question as a criterion improved specificity of the assessment completed in clinical practice but substantially compromised sensitivity, missing 9 in 10 possible cases. Women’s mental health history and treatment history were similarly under-reported, particularly concerning anxiety. APA was introduced into routine clinical practice without attention to topics of relevance to women, context of disclosure or to provision of adequate resources for consistently responding to identified need. Women experiencing, or at risk of, mild-moderate disorder were thus usually ineligible for further support. Implications: Care pathways are needed that encompass both assessing and responding to maternal stress, where communication with health professionals, subsequent referral and management are addressed. The development, implementation and evaluation of low-cost resources embedded in such pathways are a priority and the research presented in the thesis offers a foundation on which to build.