Implementing electronic health record-based anxiety and depression screening in an epilepsy clinic: Theory-based implementation strategy and pre-post quantitative outcomes using Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance

Abstract Introduction: Anxiety and depression in epilepsy are common and impactful. Screening with validated measures at every epilepsy visit is a quality measure, yet screening remains limited due to time constraints. Methods: This study aimed to develop an implementation strategy for anxiety a...

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Main Authors: Heidi M. Munger Clary, Halley B. Alexander, Sabina Gesell, Mingyu Wan, Kelly R. Conner, Cormac O’Donovan, Jane Boggs, Christian Robles, Maria Sam, Jerryl Christopher, Christina Marini, Beverly M. Snively
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press 2025-01-01
Series:Journal of Clinical and Translational Science
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Online Access:https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2059866125000743/type/journal_article
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author Heidi M. Munger Clary
Halley B. Alexander
Sabina Gesell
Mingyu Wan
Kelly R. Conner
Cormac O’Donovan
Jane Boggs
Christian Robles
Maria Sam
Jerryl Christopher
Christina Marini
Beverly M. Snively
author_facet Heidi M. Munger Clary
Halley B. Alexander
Sabina Gesell
Mingyu Wan
Kelly R. Conner
Cormac O’Donovan
Jane Boggs
Christian Robles
Maria Sam
Jerryl Christopher
Christina Marini
Beverly M. Snively
author_sort Heidi M. Munger Clary
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Introduction: Anxiety and depression in epilepsy are common and impactful. Screening with validated measures at every epilepsy visit is a quality measure, yet screening remains limited due to time constraints. Methods: This study aimed to develop an implementation strategy for anxiety and depression screening at an epilepsy center and evaluate it in a pre-post design with RE-AIM (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance). Guided by the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation-Behavior behavior change wheel framework, the strategy incorporated electronic health record tools and support staff activation of electronic screeners during visit check-in. Outcomes were evaluated over five months post-implementation and compared with two 3-month pre-implementation timeframes. Results: Post-implementation, 29.2% of 943 visits met the anxiety and depression screening quality measure, a significant increase from 12.6% immediately pre-implementation (p < 0.0001) and 6.28% before any screening interventions (p < 0.0001). Patients who completed electronic screeners post-implementation were younger than non-completers (mean 39.3 vs. 43.4 years, p = 0.001) and more likely to be white than other race/ethnicity categories (p = 0.002). There was substantial variability in screening rates among clinic staff (0–80% for support staff, 10.1–55.3% for providers), with higher screening among neurology support staff than temporary staff. Only 0.23% of post-implementation visits had screeners initiated but left incomplete. A shift to virtual visits during COVID-19 complicated Maintenance. Conclusions: This framework-based implementation strategy effectively increased screening rates by epilepsy specialists, though challenges remain, including variability across clinic team members and lower reach among older and non-white patients. This study describes a feasible strategy for epilepsy centers to use for improved performance on an American Academy of Neurology quality measure (depression and anxiety screening for patients with epilepsy).
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spelling doaj-art-c5e0b52199d84be1b2e73d9c7293dbca2025-08-20T02:25:44ZengCambridge University PressJournal of Clinical and Translational Science2059-86612025-01-01910.1017/cts.2025.74Implementing electronic health record-based anxiety and depression screening in an epilepsy clinic: Theory-based implementation strategy and pre-post quantitative outcomes using Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and MaintenanceHeidi M. Munger Clary0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9889-8351Halley B. Alexander1Sabina Gesell2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1997-9816Mingyu Wan3Kelly R. Conner4Cormac O’Donovan5Jane Boggs6Christian Robles7Maria Sam8Jerryl Christopher9Christina Marini10Beverly M. Snively11Department of Neurology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, USADepartment of Neurology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, USADepartment of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, USANeuroscience Graduate Program, Wake Forest University, USADepartment of Neurology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, USA Department of Physician Assistant Studies, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, USADepartment of Neurology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, USADepartment of Neurology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, USADepartment of Neurology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, USADepartment of Neurology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, USADepartment of Biostatistics and Data Science, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, USADepartment of Neurology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, USADepartment of Biostatistics and Data Science, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, USA Abstract Introduction: Anxiety and depression in epilepsy are common and impactful. Screening with validated measures at every epilepsy visit is a quality measure, yet screening remains limited due to time constraints. Methods: This study aimed to develop an implementation strategy for anxiety and depression screening at an epilepsy center and evaluate it in a pre-post design with RE-AIM (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance). Guided by the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation-Behavior behavior change wheel framework, the strategy incorporated electronic health record tools and support staff activation of electronic screeners during visit check-in. Outcomes were evaluated over five months post-implementation and compared with two 3-month pre-implementation timeframes. Results: Post-implementation, 29.2% of 943 visits met the anxiety and depression screening quality measure, a significant increase from 12.6% immediately pre-implementation (p < 0.0001) and 6.28% before any screening interventions (p < 0.0001). Patients who completed electronic screeners post-implementation were younger than non-completers (mean 39.3 vs. 43.4 years, p = 0.001) and more likely to be white than other race/ethnicity categories (p = 0.002). There was substantial variability in screening rates among clinic staff (0–80% for support staff, 10.1–55.3% for providers), with higher screening among neurology support staff than temporary staff. Only 0.23% of post-implementation visits had screeners initiated but left incomplete. A shift to virtual visits during COVID-19 complicated Maintenance. Conclusions: This framework-based implementation strategy effectively increased screening rates by epilepsy specialists, though challenges remain, including variability across clinic team members and lower reach among older and non-white patients. This study describes a feasible strategy for epilepsy centers to use for improved performance on an American Academy of Neurology quality measure (depression and anxiety screening for patients with epilepsy). https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2059866125000743/type/journal_articlePsychiatric comorbiditymental healthseizuresepilepsy quality measuresquality of life
spellingShingle Heidi M. Munger Clary
Halley B. Alexander
Sabina Gesell
Mingyu Wan
Kelly R. Conner
Cormac O’Donovan
Jane Boggs
Christian Robles
Maria Sam
Jerryl Christopher
Christina Marini
Beverly M. Snively
Implementing electronic health record-based anxiety and depression screening in an epilepsy clinic: Theory-based implementation strategy and pre-post quantitative outcomes using Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance
Journal of Clinical and Translational Science
Psychiatric comorbidity
mental health
seizures
epilepsy quality measures
quality of life
title Implementing electronic health record-based anxiety and depression screening in an epilepsy clinic: Theory-based implementation strategy and pre-post quantitative outcomes using Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance
title_full Implementing electronic health record-based anxiety and depression screening in an epilepsy clinic: Theory-based implementation strategy and pre-post quantitative outcomes using Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance
title_fullStr Implementing electronic health record-based anxiety and depression screening in an epilepsy clinic: Theory-based implementation strategy and pre-post quantitative outcomes using Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance
title_full_unstemmed Implementing electronic health record-based anxiety and depression screening in an epilepsy clinic: Theory-based implementation strategy and pre-post quantitative outcomes using Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance
title_short Implementing electronic health record-based anxiety and depression screening in an epilepsy clinic: Theory-based implementation strategy and pre-post quantitative outcomes using Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance
title_sort implementing electronic health record based anxiety and depression screening in an epilepsy clinic theory based implementation strategy and pre post quantitative outcomes using reach effectiveness adoption implementation and maintenance
topic Psychiatric comorbidity
mental health
seizures
epilepsy quality measures
quality of life
url https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2059866125000743/type/journal_article
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