Health care and the Veterans Health Administration have adopted many initiatives to improve patient care, including efforts to create a "Just Culture" environment for patient safety and quality outcomes. Despite significant resources and efforts on these initiatives and some temporary improvements, we continue to struggle to make significant and sustainable improvements. At the Veterans Administration North Texas Health Care System, we see that our efforts have addressed the wrong thing.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThirty-three outpatients who met DSM-IV criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD) with no history of manic or hypomanic symptomatology were enrolled in an 8-week open trial of valproate. By Week 4, 15 of the 28 completers (54%) demonstrated a significant clinical response as defined by a score reduction of 50 percent or more or a total score of 9 or lower on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD). Mean HRSD scores of the completers decreased 48.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF