Open AccessTheory in practice: Helping providers address depression in diabetes care
Author(s) -
Osborn Chandra Y.,
Kozak Cindy,
Wagner Julie
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
journal of continuing education in the health professions
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.547
H-Index - 56
eISSN - 1554-558X
pISSN - 0894-1912
DOI - 10.1002/chp.20078
Subject(s) - depression (economics) , medicine , intervention (counseling) , baseline (sea) , confidence interval , management of depression , family medicine , psychiatry , clinical psychology , primary care , oceanography , economics , macroeconomics , geology
A continuing education (CE) program based on the theory of planned behavior was designed to understand and improve health care providers' practice patterns in screening, assessing, and treating and/or referring patients with diabetes for depression treatment. Methods Participants completed assessments of attitudes, confidence, intentions, and behaviors regarding depression management at 3 time points: immediately prior to the CE program (baseline), immediately after the CE program (posttest) and 6 weeks after the CE program (follow‐up). Results Ninety‐eight providers attended the CE program: 71 completed the baseline assessment, 66 completed the posttest assessment, and 37 completed the 6‐week follow‐up. Compared to baseline, at posttest providers reported significantly more favorable attitudes, fewer negative attitudes, greater confidence, and greater intention to address depression with their diabetes patients. At the 6‐week follow‐up, participants reported a marginally significant increase in educating patients about depression, but no other depression management practices changed. Intention to change and confidence predicted some depression practice patterns at follow‐up. Fewer barriers were a consistent predictor of depression practice patterns at follow‐up. Discussion In the short term, provider attitudes, confidence, and intentions to address depression with their patients improved. Intentions, confidence, and especially barriers are important intervention targets.