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Depression in Primary Care

The Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR) was established in December 1989 under Public Law 101-239 (Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1989) to enhance the quality,

appropriateness, and effectiveness of health care services and access to these services. AHCPR carries out its mission by conducting and supporting general health services research, including medical effectiveness research, facilitating development of clinical practice guidelines, and disseminating research findings and guidelines to health care providers, policymakers, and the public.

The legislation also established within AHCPR the Office of the Forum for Quality and Effectiveness in Health Care (the Forum). The Forum has primary responsibility for facilitating the development, periodic review, and updating of clinical practice guidelines. The guidelines will assist practitioners in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and management of clinical conditions.

Other AHCPR components include the following. The Center for Medical Effectiveness Research has principal responsibility for patient outcomes research and studies of variations in clinical practice. The Center for General Health Services Extramural Research supports research on primary care, the cost and financing of health care, and access to care for underserved and rural populations. The Center for General Health Services Intramural Research uses large data sets for policy research on national health care expenditures and utilization, hospital studies, and long-term care. The Center for Research Dissemination and Liaison produces and disseminates findings from AHCPR-supported research, including guidelines, and conducts research on dissemination methods. The Office of Technology Assessment responds to requests from Federal health programs for assessment of health care technologies. The Office of Science and Data Development develops specialized data bases for patient outcomes research.

Guidelines are available in formats suitable for health care practitioners, the scientific community, educators, and consumers. AHCPR invites comments and suggestions from users for consideration in development and updating of future guidelines. Please send written comments to Director, Office of the Forum for Quality and Effectiveness in Health Care, AHCPR, Executive Office Center, Suite 401, 2101 East Jefferson Street, Rockville, MD 20852.

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NIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN LIBRARIES

Number 5

Depression in Primary Care:

Volume 1.

Detection and Diagnosis

Depression Guideline Panel

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Public Health Service

Agency for Health Care Policy and Research
Rockville, Maryland

AHCPR Publication No. 93-0550

April 1993

Guideline Development and Use

Guidelines are systematically developed statements to assist practitioner and patient decisions about appropriate health care for specific clinical conditions. This guideline was developed by an independent, multidisciplinary panel of private sector clinicians and other experts convened by the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR). The panel employed an explicit, science-based methodology and expert clinical judgment to develop specific statements on patient assessment and management for the clinical condition selected.

Extensive literature searches were conducted and critical reviews and syntheses were used to evaluate empirical evidence and significant outcomes. Peer review and field review were undertaken to evaluate the validity, reliability, and utility of the guideline in clinical practice. The panel's recommendations are primarily based on the published scientific literature. When the scientific literature was incomplete or inconsistent in a particular area, the recommendations reflect the professional judgment of panel members and consultants.

The guideline reflects the state of knowledge, current at the time of publication, on effective and appropriate care. Given the inevitable changes in the state of scientific information and technology, periodic review, updating, and revision will be done.

We believe that the AHCPR-assisted clinical guideline development process will make positive contributions to the quality of care in the United States. We encourage practitioners and patients to use the information provided in this Clinical Practice Guideline. The recommendations may not be appropriate for use in all circumstances. Decisions to adopt any particular recommendation must be made by the practitioner in light of available resources and circumstances presented by individual patients.

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