An observational study from 45 primary care practices found that clinicians adhered well to only one-third of specific guidelines for diagnosing and treating depression (Improving Patient Care, Article, p. 320).
Most clinicians recognized and treated depression but often did not address suicide risk, assess alcohol use, adjust treatment appropriately, or follow through on long-term treatment plans.
Better clinician adherence to recommendations was associated with fewer persistent depressive symptoms.
(Article, p. 294; Editorial, p. 339).
(Editorial, p. 342).
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