Patient Health Questionnaire (Phq-9) - Amerigroup

The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) - Amerigroup is a clinical tool used for screening, diagnosing, monitoring, and measuring the severity of depression. This self-administered questionnaire is used by Amerigroup, a United States health insurance and managed healthcare provider, in its services. It contains nine questions, each of which corresponds to a different symptom of depressive disorders as outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. By using the PHQ-9, healthcare providers can gauge the level of depression a patient may be experiencing and establish the most appropriate course of treatment.

The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) is typically filed by healthcare providers, specifically mental health professionals such as psychiatrists, psychologists, and therapists. This form is used to assess the presence and severity of depression in their patients. But, it can also be filled out by the patient themselves before a consultation. With respect to Amerigroup, which is a managed healthcare provider in the United States, the healthcare providers participating in their network would be the ones filing the PHQ-9 on behalf of their patients.

FAQ

Q: What is the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHq-9)?A: The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) is a self-administered tool commonly used in primary care and other medical settings to screen, diagnose, monitor, and measure the severity of depression.

Q: What is the main purpose of the PHQ-9?A: The main purpose of the PHQ-9 is to help healthcare providers diagnose and manage depression, a common mental health disorder. It aids in identifying depression symptoms and their severity level.

Q: Who is the provider of PHQ-9?A: The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) is provided by Amerigroup which is a United States health insurance and managed health care provider.

Q: Who uses the PHQ-9?A: PHQ-9 is used by healthcare providers like doctors, nurses, psychologists, psychiatrists, and social workers to screen for depression in patients.

Q: How is the PHQ-9 scored?A: The PHQ-9 is scored on a scale of 0-27. Each of the 9 questions can score from 0 (not at all) to 3 (nearly every day). A score of 5-9 indicates mild depression, 10-14 moderate depression, 15-19 moderately severe depression, and 20-27 severe depression.

Q: Is the PHQ-9 effective?A: Yes, many studies have shown the PHQ-9 to be a reliable and valid measure of depression severity and it's effective particularly in primary care settings.