Evidence-Based Best Practice Model Clinical Pathways for People with Co-Morbid Depression and Coronary Heart Disease

This project examined the clinical pathways for patients with heart disease across health care settings. It:

  1. Explored the literature on prevalence, assessment and treatment of co-morbid depression and heart disease, as well as current activities of clinical pathways for these conditions
  2. Process mapped the care provided to Coronary Heart Disease patients to identify basic elements and timeframes that are currently used to deliver patient care as well as problem points in the existing process
  3. Identified best practice model clinical pathways for the Coronary Heart Disease patient group based on health provider interviews and patient discovery interviews
  4. Informed the implementation of a pilot phase of clinical pathway in a general practice setting in the GGT region and guidelines for best practice in primary care settings for this patient group

This project was funded by the National Heart Foundation of Australia and was a collaboration between the GGT UDRH and the University of Melbourne. The project was completed in May 2006.