Evaluation of "depression in primary care" innovations.

Key stakeholders and executive decision makers in health care system require clear and convincing data of the value of chronic illness care models for the primary care treatment of depression. Well-conceived and conducted evaluations provide this necessary information. This case study describes the experience of a large, nonprofit health care system's experience with implementing and evaluating a quality improvement program for integrating depression management into primary care. The commentary that follows discusses specific evaluation questions that are relevant to each of the stakeholder groups involved in deciding whether or not to continue supporting such programs.