Search results for "United States of America"

Opioid-related harm is an urgent patient safety priority. Identifying patients at higher risk of harm is a critical aspect of opioid safety. This quality improvement team developed a predictive model, based on electronic health record data, to identify high-risk opioid users in order to provide targeted monitoring and intervention via a clinical decision support tool. The model included known risk factors for opioid-related harm, such as type of medication, dose, and coprescribed sedating medications as well as medical and mental health conditions. Investigators developed and validated the model using data from 2010 and tested its ability to predict overdose or suicide attempt in 2011. The model successfully and prospectively identified patients at risk for suicide attempt or overdose. They then used the electronic health record to provide physicians with an overdose or suicide risk estimate and a checklist of risk mitigation strategies at the point of care. The authors suggest that further study of the implementation of this risk mitigation strategy in primary care is needed.

Opioids are considered high-risk medications and overdoses are common. Guidelines have been developed to facilitate safe prescribing practices. This study across 141 facilities within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health system demonstrated that as adherence to urine drug screening guidelines increased from 2010 to 2013, the risk of suicide and overdose events among VA patients receiving prescription opioids decreased over the same period. The authors conclude that opioid therapy guidelines may have a positive impact on patient safety.

The Joint Commission publishes sentinel event alerts to emphasize pressing safety issues, determine root causes, and provide guidelines for organizations on how to address them. In light of receiving 1089 reports of suicide between 2010 and 2014, this new alert focuses on preventing suicide in health care settings. Many of the suicide cases investigated across health care settings had involved inadequate assessments or lack of identification of suicidal ideation. The alert suggests that all health care providers should screen for suicidal ideation and review patients for suicide risk factors. A previous WebM&M commentary discusses a suicide attempt on an inpatient medical unit.

A suicide attempt by a hospitalized patient is considered a never event. The majority of inpatient suicides occur in psychiatric units, but a prior Joint Commission sentinel event alert suggested that nearly 15% of attempts happen on medical wards. This study reviewed root cause analysis reports of suicide attempts on medical units in the Veterans Health Administration between 1999 and 2012. Fifty cases were identified and five represented completed suicides. Alcohol withdrawal was the most common reason for admission among patients who attempted suicide while hospitalized. The case reviews revealed communication failures, such as lack of discussion about suicide risks or mitigation plans during handoffs to other medical providers, as common contributors to these events. The authors recommend improved staff education, standardized communication for suicide risk, and protocols for appropriate management of suicidal patients. A prior article provided further implementation strategies for avoiding inpatient suicides.

This study examined inpatient suicides at Veterans Affairs hospitals and provided recommendations for mitigating risks. Hanging by using equipment present in psychiatric wards was the most common method of suicide.

Suicide among hospitalized patients remains an under-recognized never event, as it has ranked among the most common sentinel events reported to The Joint Commission over the past decade. While specialized psychiatric units are designed and staffed to minimize suicide risk, emergency departments and general medical wards are not, and prior research has shown that a significant proportion of inpatient suicide attempts occur in these settings. This Sentinel Event Alert reviews risk factors for inpatient suicide, and delineates prevention strategies hospitals can use to minimize risk. A case of an inpatient suicide attempt on a general medical ward is discussed in this AHRQ WebM&M commentary.

The authors used focus groups and interviews to develop a taxonomy of errors in inpatient psychiatry and explore underlying systems causes of the errors. Medication errors, diagnostic errors, and failure to prevent patient harm (such as suicide attempts) were among the common types of errors identified.

Suicide in a hospitalized patient is considered a never event. The majority of inpatient suicide attempts occur in patients hospitalized on psychiatric units, and a prior study conducted in Veterans Affairs hospitals used root cause analysis to identify predisposing factors for suicide attempts. Based on those findings, in this study, the authors report on the development of a checklist to identify and minimize suicide hazards in mental health facilities. The checklist primarily focused on eliminating environmental hazards, such as anchor points for hanging attempts and materials that could be used as weapons. After implementation of the checklist, over three-quarters of potential hazards were removed. A case of a suicide attempt on a medical unit is discussed in an AHRQ WebM&M commentary.

Suicide attempts by inpatients are considered a never event, and, as such, are also considered reportable sentinel events by the Joint Commission. This article reviews the suicide rate in hospitals, related risk factors, methods of suicidal behavior, factors that contribute to the event, and suggestions for prevention and risk assessment.

The Department of Veterans Affairs has pioneered the use of root cause analysis to identify systems causes of adverse events. This study reports on the use of this technique to analyze inpatient suicide attempts at VA hospitals. Suicide attempts, the majority of which occur on inpatient psychiatric units, are considered a health care never event. Review of root cause analysis reports over a 7-year period identified several methods of self-harm and factors that facilitated suicide attempts. A prior study reported on preventive mechanisms that have been implemented at VA hospitals to reduce the risk of inpatient suicide attempts.

This review sought to differentiate suicides in hospitalized medical patients from suicides in psychiatric patients or the general population. Finding a shortage of detailed data, the authors call for more comprehensive research on in-hospital suicides to inform prevention strategies.