UC Irvine

Inconsistencies in and barriers to routine depression screening across all medical specialties but neuro-oncology in particular directly contribute to our present inability to clearly identify depression trends in high-grade glioma patients. This gap in knowledge subsequently exacerbates health outcomes in an already at-risk population with poor prognoses. Increased rates of depression screening may reveal these depression trends, but barriers to screening must first be overcome to allow for intervention. In response, we have designed a 20-question, 68-item provider questionnaire to assess attitudes towards, barriers to, and responsibility for depression screening in high-grade glioma patients. Our survey has undergone careful revisions with providers and experts in the field of neuro-oncology. The data collected from the use of this survey will inform our ability to provide recommendations for improving depression screening in neuro-oncology clinics, thereby alleviating the additional burden of depression on high-grade glioma patient health outcomes.