VA Health System Performance on HEDIS Depression Treatment Measures Improves from 63% in 2001 To 70% in 2008

Between 2001 and 2008, the Veteran's Administration health system performance on the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) depression medication management measures improved from 63% in 2001 to 70% in 2008. The HEDIS depression medication management measures include three components: number of patients who received a 90-day prescription for antidepressants, antidepressant refills, and clinical encounters. Most of the performance improvement was due to a 300% increase in the number of patients who received a 90-day prescription for antidepressants; this measure went from 10.5% of patients in 2001 to 29.1% in 2008. Health system performance . . .