Year: 2009 Source: Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, v.37, no.1, (March 2009), p.15-24 SIEC No: 20090022

The author describes how failure modes & effects analysis was used proactively by an inpatient psychiatric treatment team to improve psychiatric observation practices by identifying & correcting potential observation process failures. Collection & implementation of observation risk reduction strategies across health care systems is needed to identify best practices & to reduce inpatient suicides. (53 refs.)