Safety Strategies to Prevent Suicide in Multiple Health Care Environments

A multidisciplinary task force conducted root cause analyses of 17 attempted & completed suicides & targeted inadequate patient assessment, poor communication, & knowledge deficits in the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System. A protocol was designed to ensure appropriate assessment, monitoring, & treatment of patients at risk for alcohol withdrawal & suicide. A continuous suicide risk assessment tool was incorporated into the inpatient behavioral health rounds. The authors find that new tools such as this have raised awareness, improved accountability & encouraged best practices throughout the health system. (20 refs)