Background: Pediatricians are increasingly called upon to identify and address mental health (MH) problems, in part through routine MH screening. Quality improvement (QI) learning collaboratives offer an innovative model to facilitate multi-practice learning and measurable improvements in MH screening.

Methods: Fifteen practices and 142 providers enrolled in a 9-month, web-enabled QI learning collaborative aimed at improving MH screening practices using approved screening tools during annual well child visits for children 1 to 18 years. Program elements included monthly webinars on MH, monthly team leader calls, monthly practice team meetings, 3 plan-do-study-act cycles, and ongoing technical assistance from QI and MH coaches. Data, collected at the start and end of the project, included the AAP Mental Health Practice Readiness Inventory, provider reports about attitudes towards screening, and chart audits. 

Findings: Improvements were seen across all metrics.  Practices reported greater readiness to address mental health issues (Table 1) and providers reported greater confidence in doing screening (20.7% increase). Chart reviews showed an increase in overall screening rates from baseline (11%) to project end (75%). Of screens completed, results showed improvements in the percentage of practices using an approved screening tool (1% to 67%), scoring and documenting results (26% to 88%), and billing for screening (26% to 71%). 

Implications: Results show improvements in the use of routine MH screening during annual well child visits. Findings highlight the benefits of providing ongoing, extensive support to practices around screening implementation.