Implementing a Change Package for Depression Screening and Appropriate Response for Children with Rheumatic Disease

Project Period:
2023-2025

Grant Category:
Implementation Science Grant

Disease Area:
Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA), Juvenile Dermatomyositis (JDM), Scleroderma, Juvenile Myositis, LUPUS, Rheumatoid Arthritis

Children with rheumatic disease are at increased risk of developing mental health issues, including depression. Our study looks at a system to screen children in the pediatric rheumatology clinic for depression and provide mental health resources for those who screen positive for depression. The American Board of Pediatrics developed The Roadmap Project, which includes a readiness checklist to prepare for mental health screening. Our 3 centers have used parts of this checklist to guide us in creating a change package for depression screening in our rheumatology clinics. The goal is to ensure that our screening system can be used across diverse pediatric rheumatology clinics. We will use implementation science outcomes to see if our change package can be used to start depression screening.

Investigators

Sheetal Vora, MD, MS

Wake Forest University School of Medicine

Emily Vara, DO

Medical University of South Carolina

Kelly Rouster-Stevens, MD

Emory University

Related Awarded Grants