Primary Care Office and Clinical Staff
Office managers and office staff are key participants in implementing Aetna Depression Management. They contribute to the excellent care of depressed patients by supporting the practice in implementing the program’s guidelines and protocols as a part of standard office procedures.
Our online training guide explains how Aetna Depression Management works and how to incorporate this new initiative into your practice’s routine. Of course, every practice is unique and requires individual attention to make the process smooth and efficient.
In general, however, the primary care physician should rely on the office staff to:
- Identify on the patient chart any patient who is an Aetna member so the primary care physician knows that Aetna Depression Management is an option if the patient is depressed.
- Schedule follow-up visits and assist with the referral process for mental health counseling.
The primary care physician should rely on the clinical staff to:
- Share educational resources with patients and answer questions.
- Explain each step of the treatment process and tell the patient what to expect.
- Review potential side effects of treatment and explain when the patient needs to notify the primary care physician.
Before implementing Aetna Depression Management, consider and answer these important questions. (Not all may apply.)- How will the charts of Aetna members be flagged for the physician?
- Who will serve as the liaison with care planners to enroll patients and send appropriate documents and receive, review and respond to reports?
- How and where will forms/handouts be stored in the practice?
Who will be responsible for replenishing supplies of these forms?
- How will the primary care physician and office staff communicate with each other about specific cases?
- At what points in the process is signoff from the primary care physician necessary?
- Who will share Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) results with patients? The primary care physician or clinical staff?
- How will your practice handle follow-up visits with the patient?
Aetna is available to assist you in this process and can share examples of what other practices have done. Contact us at 1-888-812-3862.
These guidelines are not intended to be exhaustive, nor are they intended to be prescriptive or replace your own independent medical judgment.
