Incidence and Method of Suicide in Hospitals in the United States

Williams, Scott C.; Schmaltz, Stephen; Castro, Gerard M.; Baker, David W.

doi:10.1016/j.jcjq.2018.08.002

Cited by 48 publications

(55 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…Other studies about environmental risk factors have emphasized anchor points in inpatient suicide, which were doors, door handles and hinges in 53.8% of cases. 11 Restricting access to or removing anchor point could be an effective way to reduce the number of inpatient suicides. 12 After the Department of Veterans affairs began using the Mental Health Environment of Care Checklist 14 when designing or monitoring psychiatric wards, the suicide rate decreased dramatically from 4.2 to 0.74 per 100,000.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This study found the most common suicide method was hanging, which was usually committed in the private room using objects like door handles. Other studies about environmental risk factors have emphasized anchor points in inpatient suicide, which were doors, door handles and hinges in 53.8% of cases [ 11 ]. Restricting access to or removing anchor point could be an effective way to reduce the number of inpatient suicides [ 12 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Accidents were categorized according to the standards followed in other studies and the ICPS. [9][10][11][12] Jumpings from a height were classified as suicides, escape attempts, or jumps of unknown causes in accordance with patient's intent and the judge's rulings.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Descriptive Study on the Civil Lawsuits of Medical Malpractice Occurred during Psychiatric Ward Treatment

Ahn

Lee

Song

2020

Psychiatry Investig

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Objective Medical accidents have resulted in actual harm for patients, been costly for health care system, and diminished trust for both patients and practitioners. The present study analyzed malpractice claims related to accidents in psychiatric inpatient units.Methods This study analyzed defendants, cases and plaintiffs or patients characteristics, degrees of injury, and types of accidents in 85 civil malpractice suits filed from 2005 to 2015 with a focus on the methods and locations of suicides.Results Most defendants were psychiatrists (n=43). Of the 85 cases, 56 (65.9%) were decided in favor of the plaintiff, most commonly on the grounds of negligence and violation of sound facility management principles. The most common diagnosis of patients was schizophrenia (n=31). The damages were deaths in 52 cases and injuries or other damages in the remaining 33 cases. The most common accident was suicide (n=28), followed by escape attempts (n=15). The most common suicide method was hanging (n=21), which was usually committed in the private room using objects like door handles.Conclusion To reduce medical accidents, medical staff should monitor high-risk patients closely and constantly. Sufficient numbers of well-trained personnel are required to meet this standard. Reducing environmental hazards such as removing anchor points and installing door locking systems will improve patient safety.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Descriptive Study on the Civil Lawsuits of Medical Malpractice Occurred during Psychiatric Ward Treatment

Ahn

Lee

Song

2020

Psychiatry Investig

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“…We collected the available reports on SiGRC and prepared a summary of the aggregated analysis, with a short timeline for each case and descriptive statistics as shown in Table 1. We compared our data with those recently published by the USA's Joint Commission for the Accreditation of Health Organizations, which has a similar reporting structure for patient suicides 7 and with a narrative review from the Mayo Clinic. 8 Once the analysis that had been conducted at a local level had been confirmed, the team reviewed and integrated improvement actions that were not only specific for each event, but were scalable and potentially transferable to other settings.…”

Section: Thematic Papermentioning

confidence: 99%

Reducing the risk of patient suicide in Tuscany

Dagliana¹,

Albolino²,

Belloni

et al. 2020

BJPsych Int.

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Patient suicide is one of the most frequent incidents in healthcare facilities to be reported to the National Observatory of Sentinel Events in Italy. Despite national initiatives, in Tuscany potentially preventable patient suicides still occur in both acute and community care settings. We describe here an aggregated qualitative analysis of 14 patient suicides that took place in public health services between 2017 and 2018. We outline the methodology and results of an improvement action we enacted in the healthcare system that involved reviewing and reinforcing relevant managerial strategies and clinical activities, with the aim of reducing potentially preventable patient suicides.

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“…Suicide is among the most tragic of events for psychiatric patients and their families, indeed for anyone. It is very often preventable (American Psychiatric Association, ; CDC, ; Stanley et al, ; Williams, Schmaltz, Castro, & Baker, ). Some suicides occur in spite of good care; others happen in patients with no history of clinical contact.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Clinician testimony in suicide litigation: A cause to be uneasy

Simpson¹,

Reid

2019

Behavioral Sci & The Law

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This is an illustrative article rather than a research study. We offer opinions and recommendations about what we view as unfortunate clinician testimony in suicide‐related malpractice cases, testimony that – inadvertently or not – supports or encourages inadequate care of suicidal patients. The principles apply to both psychiatrists and non‐psychiatrists, although the former appear more often in our work. We particularly consider the roles and testimony, in court or at deposition, of psychiatrists, whether as defendants, expert witnesses, or fact witnesses. We cite examples of what we view as poor, disingenuous, dishonest and even dangerous testimony that we believe moves the profession toward unsafe patient care. The examples illustrate what we (and sometimes others) describe as normalization of deviance, pre‐suit puffery, self‐serving defendant testimony, expert pride supplanting testimonial responsibility, expert arrogance, expert parroting of attorney suggestions, witness ignorance and avoiding facts, unconscious expert bias, inexperience thwarting justice, misleading use of terms such as “predictability,” and expert witnesses who lack the direct‐care experience that jurisdictions often require in order to opine about defendant clinicians' day‐to‐day patient care. The examples often reveal concerns beyond the category chosen, and should not be expected to convey all of the facts of a particular case.

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Incidence and Method of Suicide in Hospitals in the United States

Cited by 48 publications

References 17 publications

A Descriptive Study on the Civil Lawsuits of Medical Malpractice Occurred during Psychiatric Ward Treatment

A Descriptive Study on the Civil Lawsuits of Medical Malpractice Occurred during Psychiatric Ward Treatment

Reducing the risk of patient suicide in Tuscany

Clinician testimony in suicide litigation: A cause to be uneasy

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