Improving the diagnosis and management of generalized anxiety disorder through the implementation of the GAD-7

Abstract

<p>Session presented on Sunday, September 18, 2016:</p> <p>Anxiety disorders affect millions of American adults in any given year, causing feelings of fearfulness and uncertainty. Individuals suffering from anxiety often have difficulty controlling personal feelings, which may negatively affect relationships and daily activities. Anxiety can be divided into a variety of different disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and social phobia. In the clinic setting, diagnosing any type of anxiety disorder can be challenging and can present differently in every person. Often times, screening for anxiety symptoms and measuring the severity of symptoms are difficult due to the lack of utilizing evidence-based anxiety assessment tools to aid in patient care. The aim of the performance improvement project was to increase accuracy in diagnosing and monitoring treatment effectiveness through implementation of the GAD-7 anxiety tool in the assessment of patients with GAD-type symptoms that present in a primary care setting, as well as to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention. </p>