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STUDY: INPATIENT SUICIDE AND SUICIDE ATTEMPTS IN
VA HOSPITALS -- Careful review of root cause
analysis
reports of inpatient suicide has resulted in
focused
interventions to improve patient care and safety.
The complete study is available for viewing or
download ...
click here ...
For more about veterans and suicide, use the VA
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http://www.yourvabenefits.org/sessearc
h.php?q=suicide&op=and
Story here...
http://www.ingentaconnect.com/
content/jcaho/jcjqs/2008/00000034/00000008/art00008
Story below:
-------------------------
Inpatient Suicide and Suicide Attempts
in Veterans Affairs Hospitals
Authors: Mills, Peter D.; DeRosier, Joseph M.; Ballot, Bryan A.; Shepherd,
Michael; Bagian, James P.
Source: Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety, Volume 34,
Number 8, August 2008 , pp. 482-488(7)
Publisher: Joint Commission Resources
Abstract:
Background:
Suicide is the eleventh leading cause
of death in the United States. Approximately 1,500 suicides occur in
inpatient hospital units in the United States each year. In an attempt to
determine the methods and environmental factors involved in inpatient
suicide and suicide attempts in Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
hospitals, all root cause analysis (RCA) reports of inpatient suicides and
suicide attempts submitted to the VA National Center for Patient Safety (NCPS)
before June 2006 were reviewed.
 Methods:
VA medical centers are required to
conduct RCAs on all inpatient suicides and report all suicides and serious
suicide attempts to the NCPS. All reports of inpatient suicide and suicide
attempts submitted between December 1999 and June 2006 were reviewed,
including methods and environmental factors involved in the events.
Results:
A total of 185 inpatient suicide and
suicide attempts were reported; 42 were completed suicides and 143 were
suicide attempts. Approximately 52% of the total number of events occurred
while the patient was on an inpatient psychiatry unit. Three methods of
self harm—intentional drug overdose, cutting with a sharp object, and
hanging—accounted for 71% of the total number of events. Doors and
wardrobe cabinets accounted for 41% of the anchor points when hanging was
the method of self-harm. For suicide attempts involving cutting behaviors,
razor blades accounted for 37% of the total number of events; 57% of
jumping-related events occurred from balconies and walkways.
Conclusions:
Careful review of RCA reports of
inpatient suicide has resulted in focused interventions to improve patient
care and patient safety in VA medical centers, including a comprehensive
environment-of-care checklist for reviewing inpatient psychiatry units.
Document Type:
Research article
-------------------------
posted by Larry
Scott
Founder and Editor
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