Quality standard
Quality statement 1: Confirming and recording a diagnosis
Quality statement 1: Confirming and recording a diagnosis
Quality statement
Children and young people with suspected depression have a diagnosis confirmed and recorded in their medical records.
Rationale
Diagnosing depression in children and young people can be difficult. Confirming and accurately recording a diagnosis can facilitate appropriate treatment.
Quality measures
Structure
Evidence of local arrangements to ensure that children and young people with suspected depression have a diagnosis confirmed and recorded in their medical records.
Data source: Data can be collected from information recorded locally by healthcare professionals and provider organisations, for example care protocols.
Process
Proportion of children and young people with suspected depression who have a diagnosis confirmed and recorded in their medical records.
Numerator – the number of people in the denominator who have a diagnosis confirmed and recorded in their medical records.
Denominator – the number of children and young people who presented with suspected depression.
Data source: Data can be collected from information recorded locally by healthcare professionals and provider organisations, for example from patient records.
What the quality statement means for different audiences
Service providers ensure that systems are in place for staff to confirm a diagnosis of depression in children and young people with suspected depression and to record the diagnosis in their medical records.
Healthcare and CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) professionals ensure that they confirm a diagnosis of depression in children and young people with suspected depression and record the diagnosis in their medical records.
Commissioners ensure that they commission services that can confirm a diagnosis of depression in children and young people with suspected depression and record the diagnosis in their medical records.
Children and young people with suspected depression have tests (for example, being asked questions) to confirm a diagnosis of depression, and the diagnosis is recorded in their health records.
Source guidance
Depression in children and young people: identification and management (2019) NICE guideline NG134, recommendations 1.4.2 and 1.4.3
Definitions of terms used in this quality statement
Confirming a diagnosis
The use of tools may be helpful in confirming a diagnosis of depression. NICE's guideline on depression in children and young people indicates that Kiddie‑Sads (K‑SADS) and Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Assessment (CAPA) could be used to diagnose depression in children and young people, but these would need to be modified for regular use in busy routine CAMHS settings.